Category Archives: music

2023 In Review

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.

February

Grand Reopening and Ribbon Cutting

We hosted a public ribbon-cutting ceremony with representatives from Lansdowne Borough Council, the Lansdowne Business & Professional Association, the Lansdowne Economic Development Corporation, and special guests to celebrate our new space at 26 N. Lansdowne Avenue.

March

“3 Feet High and Rising” Release

Released on March 3, 1989, “3 Feet High and Rising,” the debut studio album by hip-hop trio De La Soul, was reissued physically on its anniversary.

April

“72 Seasons” Listening Party

We listened to Metallica‘s “72 Seasons” in its entirety and had fun giveaways all while enjoying pizza and beer at our lunchtime listening party.

Record Store Day

The big party of the year featured Record Store Day swag, a performance by Andy Hionides of Three Fourteen, and limited edition, exclusive releases including Taylor Swift‘s “folklore: the long pond studio sessions.”

May

“Kelly Drives”

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 Version Release

“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!

2022 In Review

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.

Record Store Day

YAY! We returned to a “traditional” Record Store Day!

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’

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!

2021 In Review

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.

Record Store Day Black Friday took place in November without a hitch and we held Pop-Up Shops for Finding Shelter and Animal Friends of Lansdowne, fundraisers for the two animal rescues on Small Business Saturday.

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!

“Summer of Soul” Hits all the Right Notes

I’ve wanted to see “Summer of Soul (Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)” ever since I heard about its premiere at Sundance earlier this year. So when I saw that it was playing in the area, I decided to make my first movie theater visit in over a year.  I am so happy that I did!

For those unfamiliar with the film, “Summer of Soul” is a feature documentary about the legendary 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival which celebrated African American music and culture, and promoted Black pride and unity.

The directorial debut of Questlove from The Roots, the never-before-seen performance footage was fantastic and I loved how it was weaved into the overall historical and cultural context along with present-day interviews with attendees and performers.

The series of shows, directed and emceed by singer and DJ Tony Lawrence, took place over six weeks in the summer of 1969 at Mount Morris Park (now Marcus Garvey Park) in Harlem and attracted a combined audience of over 300,000.  The shows were filmed. TV wasn’t interested.  The footage sat for 50 years…until now.

The archived footage was restored and it looks and sounds amazing! Some of the footage featured in the film includes performances by: Stevie Wonder who even played the drums at one point, B.B. King, Sly and the Family Stone, David Ruffin, Gladys Knight and the Pips, Nina Simone, The Staple Singers, Mahalia Jackson, The 5th Dimension, Hugh Masekela, Herbie Mann, Mongo Santamaria, and more!

There was a variety of musical styles and artists but the two performances that stood out for me were The 5th Dimension singing “Aquarius/Let the Sun Shine In” and Mahalia Jackson and Mavis Staples sharing singing duties on one of Martin Luther King Jr.’s favorite songs – “Take My Hand, Precious Lord.”

An interview with Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr. about their performance was particularly touching. McCoo spoke about how some people thought that The 5th Dimension was not Black enough. She said that playing to the predominantly Black crowd who embraced them made her happy.

And the vocals in the performance of “Precious Lord” will give you goosebumps.  In an interview for the film, Mavis spoke of her great love for Mahalia and that sharing the mic with her that day in Harlem was one of the best moments of her life.

I find it so disappointing that I never heard about this incredible festival before but I am so glad that Questlove and the documentary team decided to share the music, history, joy, pride, and culture of the Harlem community with us now!

I can’t say enough good things about this film.  I loved it and if you love music, you will too!

Foo Fighters Open MSG with Epic Show

Besides not seeing my family during COVID-19, the one other thing that I missed TERRIBLY was going to concerts. You see, I am somewhat of a concert addict.  There’s just a rush that I get when I’m singing along live with one of my favorite bands. So when I heard that Foo Fighters were going to reopen Madison Square Garden on June 20th – the first full capacity show since the world shut down in March 2020 – I just HAD to go.

Getting tickets was no small feat and I was unsuccessful on the day of the sale. I checked Ticketmaster over, and over, and over again, up until a couple days before the show with no luck. Reluctantly, I caved and bought tickets off StubHub. There was no way I was gonna miss this show!

As I rode up to New York, my anxiety was setting in…what if the vaccine wasn’t as effective as they said, what if I got sick from being near so many people…I was trying hard not to panic. 

Once I got through security and into MSG, my anxiety turned to excitement.  I was actually at a concert again! Everyone around me loved Foo Fighters too! I felt a comradery that I hadn’t felt in over a year and it felt wonderful!

The energy in the room was palpable and the band couldn’t have opened the show with a better song than “Times Like These.” Everyone was rocking out and singing along and as I sang, “it’s times like these you learn to live again,” I almost had a tear in my eye.   I truly felt like I was living again.

The band had as much fun as the fans as they ran through lots of hits but also a few deep cuts and new material off of Medicine at Midnight. Some show highlights included a surprise appearance by Dave Chappelle who sang Radiohead’s “Creep,” a rendition of the Bee Gees’ “You Should Be Dancing” which will appear on their recently announced July Record Store Day Drops release, and a turn on drums by Dave while Taylor sang Queen’s “Somebody to Love.” The three hour show ended with “Everlong.”  

They certainly brought rock and roll back to the Garden!

March into Laurel Canyon

Laurel Canyon Music Scene

Laurel Canyon is a mountainous neighborhood/canyon located in the Hollywood Hills region of the Santa Monica Mountains, in the Hollywood Hills West district of Los Angeles. In the mid-sixties and early seventies, the vibe of this neighborhood was inspiration for many artists.  It was a chill environment where musicians hung out together at each other’s houses and collaborated, jamming on their acoustic guitars. The music created during this time was melodic and featured some of the best harmonies ever recorded.

Here are a couple of great albums that convey the spirit of those times.

Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young – Déjà vu (1970) – Déjà vu was the second album by CSN and their first as a quartet with Neil Young.  It features the song “Our House” which was written by Graham Nash while he was living with Joni Mitchell in Laurel Canyon. It’s an account of their day – simple and beautiful.

John Mayall – Blues from Laurel Canyon (1968) – Mayall lived in the Laurel Canyon area from 1969-1979. This album forms a record of his visit there and it was innovative for its time, especially by the standards of blues recordings. Fun fact – there were no visible track divisions on the vinyl album.

The Mamas and the Papas – The Mamas and the Papas (1966) – There was some drama in the group during the release of their second record.  Michelle Phillips was kicked out of the group, was replaced and then rejoined.  In the meantime, the album cover art which featured Michelle was re-shot with a new lineup and a new title, Crashon Screamon All Fall Down.  Some advance pressings with the new cover and title were released but once Michelle returned to the group, the original cover and title were reinstated.  Copies of Crashon are now very collectible.

Funky February Featured Titles

Growing up, we always listened to records in my house (no big surprise there).  My Mom wasn’t into the crooners or soft rock/singer-songwriters.  She loved something funky so I always had a steady stream of music that made you want to get up offa that thing.  So for February, in honor of her, here are some funky featured titles you might like to add to your collection:

Parliament – The Clones of Dr. Funkenstein (1976) – The album is notable for featuring horn arrangements by ex-James Brown band member, Fred Wesley.

Prince – Around the World in a Day (1985) – Prince’s seventh studio album features his backing band The Revolution. Psychedelically funky, it features the hit, “Raspberry Beret.”

War – The World is a Ghetto (1972) – War’s fifth album was number one on Billboard and was Billboard magazine’s Album of the Year as the best-selling album of 1973.

A Look Back at 2019

It’s hard to believe that it’s been over 6 years since we opened!  We’re so grateful for the support of our customers and because of you, we had a great 2019. We thank you for allowing us to bring music into your homes and hearts!

As 2019 comes to a close, we look back at some of the in-store events we planned for YOU this past year.  As we continue to cultivate a community of music and movie lovers, we look forward to hosting up-and-coming bands, indie filmmakers and artists in 2020 too!

Music

Georgia-based singer/songwriter and troubadour, Adam Klein

Record Store Day celebration in association with WPHL-dB URock Radio Philadelphia featuring live performances by Three Fourteen, Eddie Everett & Kevin Tarzanin

Open Mic Events with host Peter Kardas

Band Fan Nights on the Big Screen

Movies

Remember the 27 Crusaders – Produced by Character Driven Productions and Thistle Dew Studio

Show Us Ur Shorts in Association with FirstGlance Films

More

Colors of Life and Love Book Signing