One of the events the City of Wyoming hosts is its annual Community Clean-Up Day.
The City of Wyoming, through the support of the Greater Wyoming Community Resource Alliance, will have its annual Community Clean-Up Day Saturday at Grand Rapids First, 2100 44th St. SW.
The site will be open form 8 a.m. – 2 p.m. Residents need to have a picture ID with them or proof of residency. Residents will enter east off of 44th Street to the northeast entrance of the church. For the full store, click here.
Wyoming: Flamingo Avenue to get trees
Mayor Jack Poll reads a proclamation at last year’s Arbor Day event.
This Saturday, the Tree Amigos and student volunteers will plant 24 street trees in the City of Wyoming. Planting will begin 9 a.m. in the 4200 block of Flamingo Avenue SW where ten Wyoming residents have signed up for the project. For more on this story, click here.
Kentwood: EK student makes her stage debut
East Kentwood student Ania Powell makes her Civic Theatre debut with “Akeelah and the Bee.”
Ania Powell makes her Grand Rapids Civic Theatre debut in “Akeehal and the Bee,” which opens on Friday and runs through April 29 at the Civic Theatre, 30 N. Division Ave. For more on the story, click here.
Wyoming and Kentwood: Record Store Day is Saturday
This Saturday, April 21, is the annual Record Store Day in the Grand Rapids area and, quite literally, around the world. It is a day to celebrate small music stores but also to celebrate records — music on vinyl. For more on the story, click here.
Public Museum: “Water’s Extreme Journey” coming to a close
Water’s Extreme Journey is open now at the Grand Rapids Public Museum (GRPM) taking visitors on a quest for clean water through an experiential maze! But the exhibit is only open through April 29. For more on this story, click here.
Pink Floyd’s The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, a remastered re-release of the band’s 1967 debut release, is expected to be one of the hot vinyl sellers this week.
This Saturday, April 21, is the annual Record Store Day in the Grand Rapids area and, quite literally, around the world. It is a day to celebrate small music stores but also to celebrate records — music on vinyl.
And if you ask those in the vinyl know, record store owners and all-around audiophiles, they say the day has become one of the most anticipated music release dates of the year.
“I understand that Jack White’s label will be having a surprise release on that day,” Steve Williamson, owner of Corner Record Shop in Grandville. “Not sure what it will be, but I am looking forward to that. It is always interesting when you do not know.”
Not that Williamson expects there to be a run on the surprise from Third Man Records, which is based out of Detroit, not like there may be on what he said is likely to be the “hot release” on vinyl on that day: Pink Floyd’s The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, a remastered re-release of the band’s 1967 debut release.
“Not sure how many of those (Pink Floyd) we will be getting in,” he said. “But that should sell quickly.”
Herm Baker, store manager of Vertigo Music in Grand Rapids, says his store is expecting a busy day Saturday and points out three releases he expects to sell well: David Bowie’s 1978 Welcome to the Blackout (Live in London ’78), a three-record set; Wilco’s 1990 Live at the Troubadour 11/12/96, a two-record set; and Grateful Dead’s 1969 Fillmore West, San Francisco, Ca. 2/27/69, a four-LP boxed set.
WKTV’s own Bill Jung has his opinion on releases he’s most anticipating — and if you’d ever seen his audio set-up and vinyl collection, you’d know he knows for what he speaks.
“There are a couple Van Morrison things, there is this alternative Moondance (LP) and this 7-inch vinyl (with the songs ‘Close Enough for Jazz’ and ‘Things’,” Jung said, when pushed to do so. “And this U2, ‘The Lights of Home’, a 12-inch vinyl.
Tom Waits (Norma Crux)
“But Tom Waits, Bawlers, that would be the number one,” he said. “He released those a couple years ago. They were sort of like the sweepings of all of his studio stuff. There was a set called Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers & Bastards. On Bastards, Tom does this thing of screaming into the distorted microphone, but Bawlers is more his reflective piano stuff. … There is some excellent things on that.”
(Don’t tell my wife, but I’m getting her the 7-inch vinyl of Florence + The Machine’s “Sky Full of Song”, a single off her upcoming new full length release, backed by “New York poem (for Polly)”.)
Corner Record Shop is located at 3562 Chicago Dr SW. Other local stores sure to have a rush of vinyl releases and vinyl fans are Schuler Books & Music, on 2660 28th Street SE, and Vertigo Music, 129 South Division. Google their websites for Record Store Day specials.
If you are looking for a new, used or repairs for turntables, check out Wayback Audio, now located at 3980 Chicago Drive, Suite 130. Google the business for contact info.
For more information on Record Store Day and a list of vinyl releases expected, see recordstoreday.com .
Corner Record Shop, in a stylized image created by Christian J. VanAntwerpen, is a magical place for music lovers. (Supplied)
By K.D. Norris
ken@wktv.org
The people behind the counter at the Corner Record Shop, located in Grandville just over the City of Wyoming border and long known as one of Western Michigan best places to browse for used vinyl and CDs, believe every day is Record Store Day.
But that doesn’t stop them from having a big ol’ party on the annual celebration of independent record stores — this year it being Saturday, April 22 — with an annual rush day of new vinyl releases, a bunch of bands in the back room, and a party-like atmosphere for customers familiar and newbie.
A bit of advice for the newbies, however, don’t say something like “vinyl is coming back” unless you want to look like a dork.
The inside of the Corner Record Shop will be the place for new vinyl and live music Saturday. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
“Record Store Day has probably gotten bigger each year, just the number of releases and the people who are aware of it, as far as the public and customers,” said Bruce Parrott, who often works behind the counter for store owner Steve Williamson. “Vinyl has always been the biggest part of this business. People say all the time ‘vinyl is coming back, vinyl is coming back’. It has never left for us.”
So while there will be new vinyl releases to be checked out at the Corner Record Shop, they will also offer up live music.
“A lot of major labels are releasing stuff on Record Store Day, specifically, and the list gets bigger each year as more record labels participating in the day and offering things up,” Parrott said. “But we will have live bands in the back room too.”
Starting at noon — doors open at 11 a.m. for those wanting first crack at new releases — there will be live music until nearly 7 p.m., with local bands and musicians on stage including, in scheduled order, The Other Brothers, Dangerville, Jake Stevens Band, Tired Blood, Oliver Draper, Nate, Devin and The Dead Frets. (For video of some of the bands set to play, visit the store’s Facebook page.)
Vinyl records, new and rare, are the main market at the Corner Record Shop. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
Whether is is Record Store Day, or any day, the Corner Record Shop is a microcosm of the not-so-new resurgence of vinyl, and part of is the fountain of knowledge of the staff on the subject.
“New vinyl is better, in most cases,” Parrott said. “The majority of releases come out on what is called 180 gram vinyl, which is a thicker, heavier, sturdier vinyl. Better made than they were — there are some ’70s RCA records, when they were going Dynaflex, you could bend in half almost. The quality of stuff coming out is really good.”
Great vinyl is coming out no matter what the genre of music, and trying to pigeonhole the genre of the store’s customers is a fool’s game.
“Just when you do that, then something, somebody changes your mind,” Parrott said. “We have a lot of shoppers of every genre. Obviously, classical listeners are getting a little older, so there is probably less of them then there are in the other genres. There is a lot of jazz people who look for new vinyl; definitely classic rock, the stuff that is getting reissued — everywhere from Prince to Led Zeppelin. We sell a lot of new vinyl of every genre.”
And, while most used vinyl (and CDs) are not all that expensive, depending on taste, rarity and how big a box set, there are exceptions.
“Just two months ago, they re-released all the George Harrison albums, every single one, those also came in a boxed set, which was $450. We sold one — one,” Parrott said. “We also have had (rare) albums that we have had priced at $400, that we put behind the wall (for protection) and sold them.”
Record Store Day started in 2008 as a way to celebrate and spread the word about the unique culture surrounding nearly 1,400 independently owned record stores in the US and thousands of similar stores internationally, according to its website. In 2008, a small list of titles was released on Record Store Day but that list has grown to include artists and labels both large and small. In 2015, 60 percent of the Record Store Day Official Release List came from independent labels and distributors.
Corner Record Shop is located at 3562 Chicago Dr SW, Grandville. For more information on events at Corner Record Shop, list them on Facebook @crs.grandville or call 616-531-6578.
The Corner Record Shop (3562 Chicago Drive SW) in Grandville celebrated National Record Story Day on Saturday, April 16, 2016. This local business, who has been in Grandville for more than 17 years, was thrilled with the beautiful sunny weather for the event.
Doors opened at 11 a.m. to a line of loyal customers who love to search through vinyl, CD’s, tapes, and 45’s looking for long-ago favorites or something new to tempt their earbuds!
This is the 9th year the Corner Record Shop has celebrated Record Store Day. As expected, the day was a huge success. Per John behind the register, “It’s like Christmas in April!”
Throughout the day there were live music performances by Brief Candles, Fiona Dickinson, Overly Polite Tornadoes, Great Black Night, and Vida Eterna.
Corner Record Shop has something for everyone who loves music. Don’t worry if you don’t have a turntable anymore… Wayback Audio is ready to meet your needs!
Kathy is a long-time employee with Spectrum Health. She has been married for 28 years to her wonderful husband, Duke. Together they have 2 children, Emily and Daniel. In her free time she enjoys volunteering with the Casting Bread Mobile Food Pantry at Kentwood Christian Church, making sandwiches at Kids Food Basket, and leading Ladies Bible Study on Thursday nights. Writing has been her passion since elementary school and she loves to write about how others enjoy what they are passionate about!
The Corner Record Shop (3562 Chicago Drive SW) in Grandville celebrated National Record Story Day on Saturday, April 16, 2016. This local business, who has been in Grandville for more than 17 years, was thrilled with the beautiful sunny weather for the event.
This is the 9th year the Corner Record Shop has celebrated Record Store Day. As expected, the day was a huge success. Per John behind the register, “It’s like Christmas in April!”