Record fanatics from all across Connecticut descended upon New Haven to browse the tens of thousands of vinyls, CDs, DVDs and cassette tapes up for sale at the Record Riots show on Sunday.
Inside the Annex YMA Club in the Annex, dozens of vendors set up shop. Each brought their own vast and distinct music collection that spanned multiple tables and years — or in some cases, decades — worth of collecting. Every flat surface was in use, holding milk crates of LPs, trays of 45s, classic rock T-shirts or vintage editions of Rolling Stone.
“Music brings great joy to people,” Stephen Gritzan, one half of the pair organizing all Record Riots shows, said. “The best thing about record shows is that the people who come, they really just love the whole thing.”
Records on display at the Record Riot extended across decades and genres, from ’60s Motown to ’90s alternative metal. From five-for-twenty deals on miscellaneous disks to hundred-dollar limited edition vinyls, the show boasted prices for every buyer.
Some record connoisseurs came in searching for one specific album to finish off a collection, while others browsed through the endless boxes of records picking out what caught their eye. The selections drew customers of all different ages, backgrounds and record collecting experience. A deep love and appreciation for music seemed to be the one constant shared between everyone, customers and vendors alike.
“I don’t really know exactly what I’m looking for at these things, just whatever catches my eye,” Cody Zanard, a Ska-enthusiast from North Haven, said. “It’s a way to support bands, you get a collection of a certain person or certain band, and just keep going.”
A fan of ’70s punk and grunge rock, Mary O'Neill came in search of a birthday present for her boyfriend.
Having recently moved to New Haven from Queens, New York, she found out about the record show from a flier handed out at a live music show nights before.
“I looked at it, and figured I was free on Sunday!” she said.
Several customers are ingrained in the local Connecticut music scene. A New Haven-based DJ described his search for a Dizzy Gillespie record, while a guitarist recalled his recent performance at Cafe Nine on State Street.
For many of the vendors, hosting tables at Record Riots is a regular part of their routine. Robert Warner has been selling records for 25 years and collecting them since childhood. Warner proudly states that he has one of the largest collections of 45s — the smaller size of vinyl records containing singles rather than albums — in Eastern Connecticut.
“I've got about 100,000 at home,” Warner said. “Music is my life. I’ve done other things, but I’ve always loved music.”
Record Riots is the largest network of record shows in the country, according to Gritzan. The organization has been hosting shows since 2008 and has shows across the eastern United States, from Worcester, Mass. to Cleveland, Ohio. With over 20 locations hosting multiple events every year, Record Riots has no intention to stop any time soon.
“This is about building community, getting people away from computers, getting them to talk to people and touch things,” Gritzan said. “We take it seriously and it's a lot of fun, and it's also doing something positive in a world that's a bit fractured at the moment.”
Record Riot New Haven took place at 554 Woodward Ave.
Contact Kalina Brookfield at kalina.brookfield@yale.edu.