In our digital streaming age, where a seemingly endless supply of media is available at our fingertips in any place or situation, a new trend toward traditional artistic experiences is emerging. And Annapolis music lovers are fully embracing this homecoming.
“I think it’s a return to physical media,” says Emma Longfellow, the Chief Marketing Officer of Third Eye Comics which just recently opened a new section specializing in vinyl records. “Streaming fatigue is a thing, whereas before you could look at a physical selection and make a decision.”
The art of curating a collection of beloved music, movies, or books is somewhat lost in Spotify playlists, Netflix queues, and Kindle libraries. And to create a path toward a return to physical media, Third Eye Comics has joined Maryland Hall and 25 other vinyl vendors to create the first annual Naptown Vinyl Record Show, a daylong event held on the front grounds of Maryland Hall on April 28.
The free event, which features vinyl vendors offering a variety of music, hopes to encourage music aficionados the opportunity to connect with collectors and enthusiasts. Many of the exhibitors specialize in niche genres, collecting premium vintage vinyl, CDs, memorabilia, speakers, and much more.
“At Third Eye, we’re all nerds,” says Longfellow. “We love sharing new things with people. Books, comics, anything. And now we’re really just trying to build up the vinyl community, and the music community in general.”
Longfellow doesn’t simply help market vinyl; she’s an avid listener. “There’s something special about vinyl,” she says. “There’s a ritual in pulling out your record and putting the needle down, listening to something that I love from top to bottom.”
“I really enjoy that when I put on a record, it has a warmth that digital sounds don’t,” says Chip Noland, owner of Ledo’s Pizza in Annapolis and one of the primary organizers of the event. “A record show in its purest form involves people unloading collections of records that they’ve amassed over years and years. For people who love music, a record show is an audible orchestra of random facts, old and new music, and constant discoveries of new sounds. Seeing the passion that comes from other people, that’s what it’s all about.”
The Naptown Vinyl Record Show runs 10am to 4pm on Sunday, April 28, at Maryland Hall. The event is free, and food vendors, live DJs, and over two dozen record exhibitors will be on hand. The 79th Annual Four Rivers Garden Club’s Flower Mart will be occurring at the same time, giving attendees an opportunity to bring home some blooms with your records.
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