When I got to Graveface Records & Curiosities on West 40th Street just after lunch on Saturday, the store had already had a big day.
Earlier that morning, a line was waiting for the store to open, and while I was there, shoppers were politely taking turns as they rummaged through the bins.
The crowds were of course due to the fact that Saturday was Record Store Day, which launched in 2007 with a mission, according to the official website, “to celebrate and spread the word about the unique culture surrounding nearly 1,000 independently owned record stores in the U.S. and thousands of similar stores internationally.”
On Record Store Day, special vinyl and CD releases are manufactured exclusively for sale at participating stores.
But I sure didn’t see any CD buyers on Saturday. Savannah’s Record Store Day shoppers were on the hunt for vinyl.
As part of a generation that grew up with vinyl, I’m thrilled to see so much passion for records. Having acquired a new turntable just last year, I’m also thrilled to be buying vinyl again for myself.
So what’s behind this fresh interest in vinyl?
Let me start with a cynical answer. In part, we might be seeing another manifestation of a fad for all things retro. So some of the current interest in vinyl might fade as buyers continue to be lured by cheaper digital formats.
But, among today’s record buyers, the passion for vinyl goes beyond any simple fad.
Records feel warmer than CDs ever did. CD packaging is rarely worth keeping, but albums and their liner notes can feel like old friends.
And, despite the occasional crackles, vinyl sounds richer to many of us than CDs.
Listening to vinyl also requires a level of consciousness not required for digital formats. We embrace the rituals associated with vinyl — turning a record over, putting it back in its sleeve, making another choice.
In addition to being a record store, Graveface is also home to the label of the same name run by Ryan Graveface. With a couple of dozen bands on its roster, the Graveface label is routinely releasing new vinyl that can be bought in the store alongside other new releases and vintage records.
For a certain number of young musicians and music lovers, Graveface Records & Curiosities has become a haven — a trove of local music culture.
Increasingly, Graveface Records & Curiosities also plays an important role in the downtown music scene. That role was spotlighted on Record Store Day, but of course the store is open every day, in all its quirkiness and unpredictability.
City Talk appears every Sunday and Tuesday. Bill Dawers can be reached via billdawers@comcast.net. Send mail to 10 E. 32nd St., Savannah, GA 31401.