Vancouver Vinyl Record Show celebrates 8th year with music and memories
Vinyl record enthusiasts are gearing up for the annual event on Nov. 24
Long-playing (LP) Vinyl records were first introduced in 1948. (Submitted)
The Vancouver Vinyl Record Show launched in 2017 with the purpose of uniting music lovers in the community.
The annual event is returning to East Vancouver’s Heritage Hall on Nov. 24 from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm, featuring more than 40 vendors selling vinyl records in genres such as jazz, blues, reggae, soul, and metal.
Visitors will also be able to check out limited-edition records, rare concert posters, and cool T-shirts, event host Tyler Scott says.
“Many music enthusiasts are rediscovering the joy of owning and listening to physical records because we can pick it up, we can hold it, we can read the lyric liner notes.”
“There might be a poster in there or stickers — stuff like that. I think when we’re listening [to something] digital in the car … it’s just not the same as sitting down and just totally soaking up the experience of listening to records,” Scott says.
One of the vendors taking part in the show is Gary Anderson, who, for more than 40 years, has been buying and selling vinyl records. Travelling from Victoria, he will bring a diverse range of vinyl records to sell at the show — with his usual genres being rock, jazz, blues, psychedelic, punk, and metal.
As a lover of music, Anderson has discovered over the years that neither CDs or cassettes provide the same quality and experience that vinyl records offer.
He finds the show is made up of like-minded people, with everyone doing the same thing and sharing the same feeling upon entering the space, which he nicknames “VD” — vinyl disease.
“[It’s] just a fun time — the experience, running into your old friends who collect records as well, finding that one item that you couldn’t find in the other stores because there’s vendors not only from Victoria but all over the [Lower] Mainland coming to sell their stuff,” Anderson says.
For Scott, it is important to have events like this in the community to bring people together to share music and stories.
“The best feeling is when you see someone’s reaction when they finally find a record they’ve always been looking for,” Scott says. “The excitement, the happiness, the joy — I’ve even seen some people cry …. [They’re] like, ‘I’m so happy I found this.’”
Scott says he got the “record bug” from his father, whose vinyl record collection he grew up with.
“I think vinyl records continue to hold a special place in the hearts of music lovers,” he says.
Admission to the event costs $5, which attendees are to pay in cash at the door. Attendees are also encouraged to bring a bag with them.
“I think music in itself is healing,” Scott says, quoting American singer-songwriter and pianist Billy Joel. “It’s an explosive expression of humanity. It’s something we are all touched by. No matter what culture we’re from, everyone loves music.”
