This weekend, record stores across America will host their annual Record Store Day, featuring exclusive albums and other aural gear, along with special promotions, live bands, (maybe) free beer, and the utmost bargains for the music fan.
As always, I will definitely be there.
As a preamble to this upcoming day of bless, I recently took a vinyl voyage to Grady’s Green Room Music Shop, 440 W. Main St. in downtown Yukon. It prepared me for this weekend's big show, supplying me with audio aperitifs abound.
I had honestly never heard of Grady’s Green Room, but a small advertisement appeared on Facebook and, without a doubt, I was off to the races. Working in tandem with his sister-shop, Grady’s 66 Pub, the ad mentioned red dirt bands like the Red Dirt Strays and others like that, which was good enough for me.
I walked into Grady’s, casual as can be.
As the owner was pricing new music, a customer was looking through the shelves, occasionally talking about the local music scene. Though a bit barebones, the passion for music was there.
Sauntering to the shelves myself, I thumbed through the stacks of wax until I found a lost album from the early 90s: corpulent rapper Chunky A–better known as talk-show host Arsenio Hall—and his lone album Large and In Charge.
Somehow, the music gods had shined upon me this day!
Oh man, I was in a better mood now, realizing that Grady’s must have gotten some lost platters in the bargain bin, with some used records in the $5 range!
Streaming my fingers across the album racks, I found unheralded works like Amy Grant’s Christan pop-upgrade Unguarded and rockabilly throwback Charlie Sexton’s 1989 eponymous title, still unsealed and ready to spin.
And, once again, it was only a few bucks.
But, across the wall in the display racks, Grady’s is top-sided with the choicest cuts in new (or new-ish) records like those from Kacey Musgraves, Blink 182, or Beyoncé, all adorning the walls.
(Conversely, in the back is a golf simulator that many people will play with all day with, I guess.)
With my bargain releases ready to go, I went up to the counter and asked him how long they had been open, to which he told me a few years. My jaw dropped to the floor, not knowing that this music store had been here for me since God knows when.
After a few minutes of eternal jawing, and with my purchases completed, I slowly backed out of the door, hanging my head in shame that I didn’t know this place was here.
Either way, I have to say that contrary to Yukon’s kowtowing, hardscrabbling, boot-scooting boogieing ways, they have a great record store to compete with Walmart’s sad compact disc selection and, if you want to take a break from that, try nine-holes of simulated golf.
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Follow Louis Fowler on Instagram at @louisfowler78.
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