Charleston Record Expo a dream for vinyl lovers
When I was a kid, way back in the '70s, the family stereo included a radio receiver, turntable and slot for 8-track tapes.
In these modern days of MP3s and iTunes, an 8-track player or tape might be seen only on the PBS program "Antiques Roadshow." In the early '90s, it appeared that vinyl records would follow those other mediums into extinction.
A funny thing happened though. All around the world, there were small pockets of audiophiles who clung to their vinyl collections, citing the warmer sound that came from an analog record as opposed to a CD or MP3 file.
Galen Hudson, manager of Monster Music in West Ashley, is one of those aforementioned vinyl enthusiasts. By his count, Hudson has about 1,200 records in his collection and has been collecting albums since he was a kid.
On Saturday, Monster Music will present the first Charleston Record Expo in an empty storefront next to World Market, just a few doors down from Monster Music's location on Orleans Road.
Hudson acquired many of the records in his collection by going to record shows, which were held at convention centers, National Guard armories and anywhere else vendors could rent space. Galen remembers going to the Daniel Boone Convention Center in Hillsboro, N.C., as a teenager. "There were dealers from all over," says Hudson, sitting in his office at Monster Music.
"You could find rarities, bootlegs, and there were just tables full of records that you could look through. Back then, there was no eBay, no Internet, so this was the way you found records that you couldn't buy at the mall. I learned so much about music at those shows."
Hudson says that Saturday's expo is an attempt to recapture the feeling of record shows that predated the Internet. The show also came about as a way to get the word out about the availability of new and used vinyl at Monster Music. The store's vinyl stock takes up a good-size section of the store, and Monster buys and resells used vinyl. Hudson's reasoning for buying and loving vinyl sounds similar to that of most vinyl enthusiasts.
"Vinyl sounds better, warmer, fuller," says Hudson. "People love holding the record cover, reading the liner notes, looking at the artwork. You just can't do that in the same way with a CD or MP3. Even the simple act of turning the record over from Side One to Side Two makes the listener part of the process."
Hudson sounds optimistic about Saturday's event. "There will be about 10 vendors, both locals and folks from as far away as Detroit," says Hudson. "... There will also be food available from South of Philly Pizzeria, merchandise from Captain's Comics and Toys, as well as a screen printer selling concert posters."
The event runs 10 a.m.-5 p.m., and admission is free. Hudson also hopes that the event will be popular enough to allow Monster to hold similar events once or twice a year, giving vinyl enthusiasts a regular chance to hunt for musical treasures. Saturday's event is also a chance to prepare for what is already a successful annual event: Record Store Day on April 16.
