On a recent trip to Los Angeles, Gregg and I planned an afternoon at the GRAMMY Museum. It was raining for most of our visit, so checking out the Museum was a great way to spend a day. There was so much to see and do, from exhibits and film screenings to immersive experiences and listening stations.
Here are a few highlights of our visit:
The “Shining Like a National Guitar” exhibit showcased an impressive display of vintage guitars, mandolins, and ukuleles.
Founded in 1927, the National String Instrument Corporation was an American guitar company first formed to manufacture banjos and then the original resonator guitars. They also produced resonator ukuleles and mandolins. Now defunct, their original instruments are in high demand. It was a great treat to see so many of these unique instruments that have been associated with artists such as Bukka White, Mark Knopfler, and Johnny Winter, to name a few, in one place.
The “Musical Crossroads” exhibit was cool. It featured four genre “pods” where you could deep dive into the worlds of hip-hop, pop, folk, and gospel. It demonstrated how genres, musical influences, fandom, and technology intersect.
The “Janet Jackson Music Video Looks” display showcased the “That’s the Way Love Goes” and “Scream” music video-worn outfits.
The traveling exhibit, “Luther Vandross Artistry and Elegance,” featured artifacts including one of Vandross’ GRAMMYs, two full sets of custom-designed, hand-beaded stage wear worn by Vandross and his backup singer/dancers, performance footage, handwritten lyrics, studio notes, and more. I enjoyed the glimpse into Vandross’ creative process and the never-before-heard recording of him.
There were so many interesting and entertaining presentations to interact with, but one of my favorite activities was watching a variety of curated performance clips from past GRAMMY Awards broadcasts. So much incredible talent has graced the GRAMMY stage!
If you’re a music lover like me, a visit to the GRAMMY Museum is a must. Exhibits change all the time, so there’s something new to see on each visit.
I look forward to watching artists’ musical achievements being awarded with that gilded gramophone during the GRAMMY Awards ceremony tonight. There could be a history-making performance that will be featured in the GRAMMY Museum in the future.
The GRAMMY Museum is located at 800 W Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90015.
2025 was our first full year in our new store at 19 N. Lansdowne Avenue and we couldn’t be more grateful for the continued loyalty of our customers!
Although we still miss the fabulous theater space we had at our original spot, our new cozy space was perfect for the great music and movie events we hosted all year long.
Here’s a look back at the memorable moments that we shared in 2025!
Dinner and a movie in Lansdowne? Absolutely! Through a partnership with our friends at Jamey’s House of Music, we presented an independent film screening series every fifth Thursday of the month at Jamey’s. We enjoyed pre-show dinners, movies from local filmmakers, and Q & A sessions with the filmmakers following the screenings. Films included “Heart of the Beat” with David Uosikkinen, “Standing in the Shadows of Motown,” “Music From the Inside Out,” and “The Wages of Spin.”
We presented a pop-up acoustic performance by Lansdowne’s Bob Beach and David Jacobs-Strain, hosted RSD Black Friday and Record Store Day events, a Kids Music Day Craft, and stayed open late for, and held sales on, Small Business Saturday, the Night Markets, African Caribbean Festival, and Lansdowne’s first Open Studios | Open Town | Open Sound event – a walkable celebration of Lansdowne’s creative community!
2025 was a fun year but we’re looking forward to an even better 2026! With the recent reopening of the Lansdowne Theater, we plan to have extended evening hours on most show nights, host more Listening Parties, movie nights, in-store performances, album release parties, trivia nights, and more!
Follow us on social media for updates and news about all of our happenings – Vinyl Revival on Facebook and @vinylrevivalrecords on Instagram.
Most people have heard about the Live Aid benefit concerts which took place on July 13, 1985, simultaneously in London at Wembley Stadium and in Philadelphia at JFK Stadium. But…in case you’re hearing about the shows for the first time, they were organized by Bob Geldof of The Boomtown Rats fame, known for “I Don’t Like Mondays,” and Midge Ure of Ultravox, to raise money for famine relief in Ethiopia. The concerts featured a who’s who of pop and rock stars from Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young to Madonna, David Bowie to Run-DMC, and many, many more (look it up – the talent was incredible). As we celebrate the 40th anniversary, I’d like to share a few memories from the day.
Back in 1985, I was a 16-year-old music lover lucky enough to get the green light to go to the show—huge thanks to Mom and Dad! So, I gathered my waitressing money, jumped on the subway, and headed uptown to Wanamaker’s to get tickets. I would be attending with my bestie, Michele, my boyfriend at the time, and another friend. The four of us were the frequent concertgoers of our neighborhood crowd.
On the day of the event, we all met up early, maybe 6 or 7 a.m., and headed to JFK. We had general admission tickets for the field, so we didn’t have seats. Fine with me. The concert began with an attendee’s performance which I thought was pretty cool. How lucky was that dude? From there, the musical extravaganza commenced with one great performance after another. We ended up getting a spot just beneath the MTV stage which was right off the side of the main stage. It was cool looking up to see some of the performers getting interviewed by the VJs including Mark Goodman who was originally from Philly. During the day, Mayor Wilson Goode was standing near us and grooving to either the Four Tops or Hall & Oates with Eddie Kendricks and David Ruffin (both from the Temptations). He was enjoying the show too!
Everyone remembers how brutally hot it was that day—about 95 degrees—and how fire hoses were spraying water to keep people cool. I remember the bathroom floor being really wet, kind of flooded, and gross. I used all my money to buy a t-shirt and program instead of food. I think I only ate fries. There were several truly memorable performances. Queen and U2 come to mind, but the highlights of the day for me were seeing Paul McCartney live from London even though his mic was out for part of his performance and the reunion of Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, and John Paul Jones doing a few Zeppelin numbers. We were near the side of the extended stage when Mick Jagger and Tina Turner performed, and Mick ripped off Tina’s skirt during “It’s Only Rock ‘n’ Roll (but I Like It).” That was shocking! And Philly native Teddy Pendergrass’ first appearance since his paralyzing accident was very special. It was a long day but we were so excited we walked back to South Philly.
Live Aid was broadcast to an estimated 1.5 billion viewers across approximately 100 countries, making it one of the largest global broadcasts ever. It raised over 100 million dollars for famine relief.
Even now, I feel so thankful to have been part of such a historical event!
Led Zeppelin Takes Flight: ‘Becoming Led Zeppelin’ in Theaters Now
I was lucky to win tickets to an advance screening of “Becoming Led Zeppelin” at the event center at 102.9 WMGK last week. Hosted by Tony Harris, it was the first event that the station presented in the intimate space.
The two-hour documentary, directed by Bernard MacMahon, chronicles the band’s origins and focuses primarily on the period from ’68 to’70.
Featuring old family photos of Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones, and John Bonham; lots of groovy live performance footage, some of which has never been seen; new interviews with the remaining members; and a never-before-heard interview with Jon Bonham, the film provides a musical and cultural backstory on the period and re-counts the formation of one of rock ‘n’ roll’s most influential bands.
As the surviving band members tell it, each childhood memory and story became the building blocks of Led Zeppelin’s epic story.
You’ll hear first-hand accounts of the musical beginnings of session musicians Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones, the influence of all the R&B coming out of the U.S. that inspired Robert Plant, and the unheard John Bonham audio that visibly touches Plant, Page, and Paul Jones.
I won’t get into the specific concert footage or what is revealed in the storytelling, but I’ll tell you that it was very difficult for me not to sing along and play air guitar. It was a quiet movie screening, after all.
The film is in theaters now. I thoroughly enjoyed it and I recommend it. It’s a must-see for Zep fans.
At this time every year, we like to give a year-end recap. 2024 started off rather hectically as we were in the middle of moving the store (AGAIN!) and finishing renovations of our new current location. Since then, we’ve welcomed back our loyal customers and met many new folks who love music and enjoy listening to music on vinyl. We’ve held some great events along the way too! Here’s what 2024 looked like. We look forward to many exciting events in 2025!
February
Ribbon Cutting & Grand Reopening
Our reopening was delayed a bit, but we were finally able to cut the ribbon and open our doors on February 17th! Woo-hoo!
March, April, May
Band Fan Nights
We held a series of Band Fan Nights where we enjoyed live concert clips from classic rock bands on the big screen and held lively discussions about the groups and their performances.
Our Record Store Day celebration included Exclusives, RSD First titles, and Small Run/Regional Titles plus a pop-up shop featuring rock ‘n’ roll pillows by Tamme Handmade.
May
Album Release with Jay Byham
We hosted an Album Release Party for singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Jay Byham‘s new record, “Postcards Along The Way,” with an acoustic performance by Jay, David Uosikkinen (The Hooters), and Steve Butler (Smash Palace), who are both featured on the new album.
June
Cannoli Day
We held a meet and greet with Finding Shelter Animal Rescue’s adoptable dog Cannoli and Steve Morrison from WMMR’s Preston & Steve Show.
September
Meet & Greet with Eli Waltz
We held a Meet and greet with folksinger, songwriter, and bandleader Eli Waltz to celebrate the release of his new solo album, “October Julep.”
October
Kids’ Music Day
In the fall, we celebrated Kids Music Day with a children’s craft project and sale.
November
Record Store Day Black Friday
We celebrated Record Store Day Black Friday with a live acoustic performance by singer/songwriter Ponté, snacks and drinks, and a great selection of special titles exclusive to indie record stores.
“What if it rained? We didn’t care.”– “My Valentine,” Paul McCartney.
I’ve seen some great concerts this year. Gregg and I kicked off the summer concert-going season with the Stones and just saw David Gilmour at Madison Square Garden. But sadly, once again, one of my all-time favorites, Paul McCartney, wasn’t playing in our area. I frequently check his tour schedule as we’ve traveled to see him, most recently to Orlando in 2022.
So, imagine my surprise and excitement when I recently checked his website and saw that he was playing in San José, Costa Rica on November 5th. Gregg and I were going to be in Costa Rica then! But we were staying on the other side of the country. Sigh. I did some research and found out that the Estadio Nacional was about a 4–5-hour drive from our resort. That was doable! There was NO WAY I was going to miss him! When I proposed the idea of going to the concert to our friends that we were vacationing with, thankfully they were as excited to see him as I was! We hired a driver and made the trek across the country to San José.
San José was a big city and the traffic was brutal. The ride there ended up taking 6 hours. Our driver Don was very patient the entire way and as the stadium came into view, we hopped out of the car as quickly as we could to get in line. We ran up to the first gate we saw and tried to enter the stadium. UGH, the entrance for our section was on the other side of the stadium! They told us we had to walk around the entire building. You couldn’t enter and walk around on the inside; it didn’t go all the way around. So, we started walking. Briskly. As we went, we dodged the street vendors selling ponchos and concert t-shirts; the aroma of grilled skewered meats and the sounds of “carne” filled the air. As we were walking in, we heard Paul coming on – he was singing “A Hard Day’s Night.” We got to our seats during the second song, “Junior’s Farm.” There was no time for food, beer, or a bathroom break. We had to see Paul!
Rain began to fall, and as we stood at our seats screaming our heads off, I was surprised that the Costa Rican crowd wasn’t as vocal as us. Everyone was singing, bopping their heads, and tapping their feet, but only occasionally stood up and danced, at least in our section. But the phone lights came out for “Let it Be” and “Hey Jude” just like in Philly.
He played for about 2 and a half hours, somewhat shorter than his U.S. shows, but we were told that concerts typically end at 10 p.m. at the stadium. All in all, it was a solid set that featured Beatles’ faves, classic Wings’ hits, and a good number of newer songs. He’s recently been including tributes to John Lennon and George Harrison, and he included them. There were a few songs I could have done without, namely, “Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite” and “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da.” I would much rather have heard “Elenore Rigby” or something from Venus and Mars. It’s my favorite Wings album and he rarely plays anything from it. One song glaringly missing from the setlist was “Yesterday.” He almost ALWAYS plays it. Not sure why he didn’t but I sure missed hearing him sing it.
All in all, I am soo glad that we went to the show. I might not have many more opportunities to experience the pure joy that a McCartney concert provides.
I found the setlist from the show somewhere online in case you’re wondering what he played; a total of 37 songs!
1. A Hard Day’s Night
2. Junior’s Farm
3. Letting Go
4. Drive My Car
5. Got To Get You Into My Life
6. Come On To Me
7. Let Me Roll It
8. Getting Better
9. Let’ Em In
10. My Valentine
11. Nineteen Hundred And Eighty-Five
12. Maybe I’m Amazed
13. I’ve Just Seen A Face
14. In Spite Of All The Danger
15. Love Me Do
16. Dance Tonight
17. Blackbird
18. Here Today
19. Now And Then
20. New
21. Lady Madonna
22. Jet
23. Being For The Benefit of Mr. Kite
24. Something
25. Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da
26. Band On The Run
27. Get Back
28. Let It Be
29. Live And Let Die
30. Hey Jude
31. I’ve Got A Feeling
32. I Saw Her Standing There (DEBUT)
33. Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)
This past year, we had to say goodbye to our long-time space in the Historic Lansdowne Theater building. And now that we’re finally settled into our new space at 26 N. Lansdowne Avenue, we must pack up and move the store again!
2024 is going to kick off with renovations, fresh paint, packing and unpacking boxes, and organizing displays in our new space at 19 N. Lansdowne Avenue.
But before we look ahead to 2024, we look back at the fun events we planned and the new music that was released in 2023.
We put the needle on the record when we taped a segment with Bob Kelly FOX 29 for an episode of “Kelly Drives.”
June
Night Market
Over thirty businesses (including us!) participated in the Lansdowne Business & Professional Association’s Night Market.
Juneteenth Celebration
Customers came out to Lansdowne for a Juneteenth Celebration featuring live music and performances, poets, food trucks, vendors, and more! We celebrated the 50th Anniversary of Hip-Hop and African American Music Appreciation Month.
“Weathervanes”Release
Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit’s album “Weathervanes” was released, and we participated in his indie record store contest in which he gave away autographed electric guitars.
July
“Barbie The Album” and “Starcatcher” Listening Parties
In July, we held not one, but two listening parties! First up was the “Barbie The Album” Listening Party where attendees wore pink and received heart-shaped sunglasses, visors, and posters. Then at our Greta Van Fleet “Starcatcher” Listening Party, attendees received GVF patches, slipmats, and posters and one lucky person won a poster autographed by the band.
August
10th Anniversary Party
In-Store with Low Cut Connie
In August, we celebrated our 10th Anniversary with a week of fun events!
The celebration kicked off with an “Art Dealers” Album Release Party with Adam Weiner of Low Cut Connie. Adam performed an intimate in-store set, signed albums and CDs before the official release date, and took pictures with fans.
The week of events continued with Music Trivia Bingo, a Board Game Night, a Bring Your Own Vinyl Listening Party, and concluded with a Kids’ Music Craft.
October
Kids Music Day
We celebrated Kids Music Day during Lansdowne’s Arts on the Avenue Festival. Kids who stopped in created a colorful toilet paper shaker to make music.
“The Greatest Rock And Roll Band You Never Heard Of” Book Tour
Author Marcus Mason and members of Hit The Ground Runnin’ stopped by on their book tour to meet fans and sign copies of the book that tells the story of the ’80s garage band from Delco who regularly appeared on “Dancin’ On Air” and “Dance Party USA” from 1986-1991.
“Danse Macabre” Listening Party
We hosted an exclusive advance listen of Duran Duran’s “Danse Macabre” album with cool giveaways that included posters, slipmats, and stickers.
Project W Mix & Mingle
We hosted a Mix and Mingle for Project W, a women’s giving circle that harnesses the power of collective giving to address the needs of women in Delaware County.
“Hackney Diamonds”Release
October saw the release of The Rolling Stones’ first original studio album since 2005, “Hackney Diamonds.”
“1989” Taylor’s VersionRelease
“1989” Taylor’s Version featured songs originally on the album plus five unheard vault tracks and unique photos. It was released on special edition vinyl: rose garden pink, aquamarine green, and crystal skies blue.
November
“Higher” Listening Party
Fans stopped in for a lunchtime listening party for the latest Chris Stapleton album, “Higher.”
We held a raffle for some great Stapleton swag and all attendees received a poster!
“Now And Then”Release
Not only did we get new Stones in 2023, but we got new Beatles too!
“Now And Then,” the last song by The Beatles was released as a 12″ version on black vinyl, and a 7″ on black, blue, marble, and clear vinyl. The flip side is their first UK single – “Love Me Do.”
November
Record Store Day Black Friday
Customers shopped our selection of exclusive and limited-edition titles only found at indie record stores!
Book Signing with Author and Photographer Harold Sherrick
Harold sold copies of “A Pig’s Tale,” his book about Pigman, the man behind bootleg records in the 1960s, and his underground record label, Trade Mark of Quality, and copies of “Stolen Moments,” a book of his photography featuring musicians and other notables including Neil Young, Mick Jagger, Sting, Bono, Sheryl Crow, Quincy Jones, David Bowie, Tori Amos, June Carter Cash, John Entwistle, Joe Walsh, Ringo Starr, Ray Charles, John Fogerty, Tom Petty, Chrissie Hynde, Pete Townsend, Stevie Wonder, and others.
Small Business Saturday Sunflower Moon Pop-Up
On Small Business Saturday, we helped promote another small business, Sunflower Moon. The locally- made winter accessories feature Art by Pam.
December
“THE WORLD EP.FIN”: WILL” Listening Party
We hosted an ATEEZ Listening Party with great giveaways and played a fun trivia contest with grand prizes!
Beyond the Bridge: WRTI’s J. Michael Harrison Celebrates 30 Years in Radio
Beyond the Bridge was an evening of reflections and recollections that featured a conversation with acclaimed saxophonist, composer, educator, curator, and entrepreneur Greg Osby. We revisited his influential 1993 release 3-D Lifestyles, enjoyed a special performance by the extraordinary tandem of Bethlehem and Sad Patrick, and included a fun-filled musical journey through 30 signature jazz and hip-hop album releases marking 1993 as a memorable and pivotal year in music in celebration of WRTI’s J. Michael Harrison‘s 30 years in radio.
In 2023,we celebrated the 50th anniversary of Pink Floyd‘s “The Dark Side Of The Moon” and “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving” by Vince Guaraldi as well as the 30th anniversary of Snoop Dogg’s “Doggystyle” and Brand Nubian’s “In God We Trust.”
We also partnered with Ardmore Music Hall to hold ticket giveaways during the year.
It was a busy year with lots of opportunities to bond with fellow music lovers! We look forward to bringing even more music and arts events to Lansdowne for many years to come and hope to see you at our new store at 19 N. Lansdowne Avenue soon!
We saw a flurry of activity at the record store in 2022, with a return to some film screenings, stand-up comedy shows, and in-store events like Record Store Day. There was lots of new music and we tried to stock many of the titles that you looked forward to adding to your collection.
As we reflect on the past year and the events that we produced in The Vault, we are disappointed that we must leave the unique theater space within our store behind. We look forward to configuring our new space so that we can continue to provide entertaining events plus shopping experiences!
Enjoy checking out some of the events we had the joy of being part of this past year and stay tuned for what we’ve got planned for 2023!
“Edison 64” Screening, February
“Edison 64,” a feature-length documentary produced by American Veterans Media, screened at Vinyl Revival for free multiple times over a weekend. The film tells the story of the 64 students from Thomas Edison High School in Philadelphia that were killed during the Vietnam War. Co-directed by Shawn Swords and Roger Bruce, the film explores the time the students spent at Thomas Edison High School and aims to shine a light on, and pay tribute to, the disproportionate number of Edison students turned soldiers who enlisted in the hopes of a better life but who ended up giving their lives.
Jokes From The Vault With Coby Jackk and Red Snapperrr, March
Powered by A Step Higher Inc. and PRESENTED BY @THEREALARTISTICMATTER, Vinyl Revival was excited to host a comedy show series, Jokes From The Vault, on the 2nd Saturdays of the month!
The all-inclusive VIP comedy experiences hosted by Heavy Footage featured side-splitting comedy, delicious food, and lots of fun!
The March show featured Coby Jackk, Red Snapperrr, and food by Chef Mona Wilson who has been featured on Food Network, “Cupcake Wars,” “Sugar Showdown,” Food & Wine, “Dr. Oz,” People Magazine, Upscale Magazine, Eater, United Taste of America, and “Good Morning America.”
Band Fan Night – April
All killer, no filler, our monthly Band Fan Nights featured live clips on the big screen and lively conversation. Our April event featured concert clips from Cream with a special clip from a surprise artist.
Jokes From The Vault featuring Ken Jones
Our April comedy show featured Ken Jones, A. R. Church, food, drinks, and a special live musical performance.
After scaling back Record Store Day parties the past few years, we were excited to celebrate the annual event with our customers once again!
DJ Joe Foley provided in-store music all day and shoppers enjoyed complimentary light refreshments and drinks including Rosati‘s Blue Razz/Lemonade ice with “I Stand with Ukraine” packaging (a portion of sales went to Holy Myrrh Bearers Ukrainian Catholic Church.) We hosted a Pop-Up Shop with a selection of Rock and Roll Pillows from Tamme Handmade and gave out lots of fun Record Store Day swag!
Band Fan Night, June
We celebrated the music of Jefferson Airplane, The Byrds, and Chicago Transit Authority.
Jokes From The Vault with Jamaican G
June’s Second Saturday comedy event featured headliner Jamaican G and food by TV Personality Chef Mona Wilson.
Record Store Day Drops
Vinyl Revival stocked titles that were Record Store Day Exclusives, RSD First titles, and Small Run/Regional Titles. Guests enjoyed complimentary light refreshments and drinks and we hosted a Pop-Up Shop with Fashion from The Royal Orange, a collective of fashion designers working together to build quality fashions for all women.
Band Fan Night, July
We celebrated British rock music with clips from The Who, The Yardbirds, The Pretty Things, The Kinks, and The Animals.
Jokes From The Vault Featuring Ty Raney
July’s edition of Jokes From The Vault featured Ty Raney, who has appeared on Kevin Hart’s “Hart of the City,” plus Emily Epstein White, Foster, and food by Chef Mona Wilson.
Jokes From The Vault Featuring Ish the Butler, August
This month’s Jokes From The Vault featured the comedic talents of Ish the Butler.
Band Fan Night
We enjoyed live performance clips from Man, Free, Rory Gallagher, and Deep Purple.
Evening Shopping During LBPA Night Market, September
The Lansdowne Business and Professional Association created a fun, evening shopping and dining event in the Central Business District’s Landing area so we stayed open late and offered some specials for the evening.
Band Fan Night
September 18th marked 52 years since Jimi Hendrix passed so September’s monthly fan night event paid tribute to him. We celebrated Jimi and watched some clips from his live performances.
Kids Music Day Craft, October
Our Kids Music Day Craft was held during Delco Arts Week. Children ages K – 5th were invited to create and decorate a toilet paper roll shaker filled with an assortment of beads, rice, and pasta to make their mark on music.
“Life Without Parole” Screening
We screened the privately funded MainLineTV.org award-winning documentary film which tells the story of George Martorano, who was sentenced to life without parole in 1984 for marijuana-related offenses. He is the longest serving prisoner, first time, non-violent offender, in judicial history. Martorano also served almost 5 years in solitary confinement. The screening, produced as a Delco Arts Week event, included appearances by “Life Without Parole” Director Jill Frechie, Co-producer John Ricciutti, and George Martorano.
Record Store Day Black Friday, November
We stocked a large selection of exclusive and limited-edition titles to kick off the holiday shopping season and offered discounts on select in-stock records.
Our year ended with a move out of our location at 35-37 N. Lansdowne Avenue, but we’re excited about our new larger space at 26 N. Lansdowne Avenue. Hope to see you at our new spot soon!
California Dreamin’. I did that for two years but I finally made that dream a reality.
On my recent trip to Los Angeles, I not only strolled Rodeo Drive and checked out The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios Hollywood, I also visited a few music-related sites.
If you’re going to California soon, here are a few places I visited that you might like too.
Laurel Canyon
The mountainous neighborhood in the Hollywood Hills was a center for the counterculture and home to many musicians in the 1960s. Mama Cass, Joni Mitchell, Frank Zappa, Linda Ronstadt, Jim Morrison, plus members of many bands including The Beach Boys and The Eagles, to name a few, all called Laurel Canyon home.
I just loved the winding roads and the views from high up the hills were spectacular! I can see why the area served as inspiration for many popular songs of the time.
Whisky A Go Go
Although it was closed when we visited in the afternoon, it was still thrilling to stand outside the Whisky.
Opened in 1964, the Club launched the careers of many bands.The Doors were the house band in 1966, and Janis Joplin, The Byrds, Led Zeppelin, and Fleetwood Mac all played there. In the ‘80s, bands like Motley Crue and Guns N’ Roses took to the stage. There’s soo much music history there!
Of special note, the Whisky is the first ever music venue to be inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame.
Amoeba Music
The independent music store chain that was founded in 1990 in Berkeley has a brand new location on Hollywood Blvd. Of course I had to check it out. The space was BIG and they carried LOTS of new and vintage vinyl plus movies, CDs, posters, Amoeba-branded merch, and all kinds of cute music-related stuff. I didn’t have nearly enough time there to do the shopping that I wanted to do, but I did pick up a few fun rockabilly records and a T-shirt.
Hollywood Forever Cemetery
You might think it’s kind of weird and morbid to visit a cemetery while on vacation but the Hollywood Forever Cemetery is not your ordinary cemetery. The site regularly hosts community events such as live music and summer movies.
Founded in 1899, it’s one of the world’s most visited landmarks, and the final resting place of hundreds of Hollywood legends including Judy Garland, Cecil B. DeMille, Rudolph Valentino, Mickey Rooney, Johnny and Dee Dee Ramone, Chris Cornell, and Scott Weiland, to name a few.
I was able to find Johnny Ramone’s grave which was topped with a fantastic sculpture of him playing guitar. I also found Chris Cornell’s grave which was much simpler than what I was expecting.
Don’t know when I’m going back to Cali, but I want to experience the nightlife of the Sunset Strip; the Viper Room, The Roxy, the Rainbow, and of course, the Whisky. Also on my must-see list for next time are The Hollywood Bowl, the GRAMMY Museum, and the Capitol Records tower. Until then, I’ll be in Lansdowne!
Another year has passed and again we’ve had to deal with planning and attending events around the never-ending coronavirus pandemic. Although we joyously headed back out to concerts, movies, and sporting events this spring and summer, we operated with limited hours until June and there wasn’t a Record Store Day in April. Thank goodness we had many notable new releases to get us through it all! Here’s how the year played out:
As part of Delco Arts’ Spring Fling in May, we hosted an event with author and painter, George H. Rothacker. Paintings and prints of his Rock Legends were available for sale and we presented a slide show of the paintings on the big screen throughout the day. George was on-site to sign his memoir, “The Diverse Artistic Universe of George H. Rothacker: A Memoir with Pictures,” too.
We went back to regular hours in June, started staying open late once a month for evening shopping, and we resumed our Band Fan Nights with music and videos by Santana and Jimi Hendrix. We held the first of two RSD Drops but without live music, food, or drinks.
July featured the second RSD Drops event and a Band Fan Night featuring The Doors in honor of the 50th anniversary of Jim Morrison’s passing.
We celebrated the Stones at our August Band Fan Night and sadly lost Charlie about a week later.
Our September Band Fan Night featured The Faces, Humble Pie, Robin Trower, and Ten Years After and we hosted a FirstGlance Film Festival Preview Party and ticket giveaway.
For Delco Arts Week in October, we hosted a special a screening of Shawn Swords’ documentary, “Charlie Gracie Fabulous.” Charlie joined us for the event so we surprised him with an award for his contributions to the arts and music in Delaware County. We also participated in Kids Music Day, hosting a music-themed craft for kids.
As 2021 comes to a close, we’re thankful that we were able to stay open and present at least a reduced number of special events under the circumstances. We’re hanging in there with the help of great music and hope you are too! Thanks for shopping with us!
