A few weeks ago, I was having a super crappy week, which culminated with a stress-induced phone call (who even talks on the phone anymore?) to my partner in crime, my RSD buddy, Anita. We talked through all the things and decided we'd maybe meet for dinner the next day if I was up to it/wanted to get out of my apartment. We ended up having dinner at Hula Girl because Hawaiian food cures all (this is a fact and I will fight you about it). After establishing that I wasn't going to have another stress-induced crying fest in public, our conversation turned towards planning our annual RSD trip. We don't have "rules" for where we go; we prefer a day trip (1-2 hours drive) and to visit places we haven't been before if possible. Anita started looking up options, and slowly a list of potential stores emerged. When she mentioned many of them were in Silver Spring, MD, I immediately suggested going to my favorite New Orleans coffee shop that just opened a store in Silver Spring. It's like the RSD gods were smiling on us, giving me a reason to drive 40+ minutes for an iced mocha. It all came together, as Penny Lane would say. And so, we journeyed to exotic Silver Spring, MD to once again rock the suburbs.
Our planned stops:
- Record Exchange of Silver Spring
- Joe's Record Paradise
- Bump 'n Grind Coffee and Music
- Purple Narwhal Music & Manga (in the booming metropolis of Rockville, MD)
- Crooked Beat Records (in Alexandria, VA - this was a bonus stop because we did so well on time today)
I'm surprised by the fact that there are two record stores within walking distance of one another in Silver Spring. I could walk from the Fillmore to both stores and stop for coffee at PJ's. It's what I imagine being a teenager in the 1980s must have felt like; a record shop on a major street, coffee, freedom, and rock and roll. Unlike past RSDs, we had not real RSD goals. We wanted to hit at least four record stores (we technically went to five - more on this in a moment), and we wanted to go to PJ's, have lunch, and end with our traditional RSD adult beverage and reflection. Anita works in the area so she was in charge of getting us there. I made breakfast cupcakes (muffins, please update your vocabulary). We both had RSD list items we wouldn't mind finding, but would be fine if we didn't find them. It was the first "wherever RSD takes us" RSD we've attempted.
And this worked out just fine. We started at Record Exchange, a smallish store right near AFI (if you're familiar with downtown Silver Spring). Anita had visited before, on a Black Friday, and not had the greatest experience. If you hesitate to visit record stores because of the clerks, you'd be right about her previous visit. However, we had a very polite visit. I don't know if it was the fun and frivolity (as frivolous as record collectors can get) of Record Store Day, but it was the most polite record store I've ever visited. Everyone wanted to know if we were doing okay, finding what we needed. One of the employee's daughter was in the store, acting as the honorary store greeter, which was adorable. The DJ was playing good music. I found the Lou Reed and the Violent Femmes special releases (Miracle!). We got to listen to a song from The Goofy Movie. The clerk was shocked that the Lou Reed album was still there. My only negative about this place was that their organization methods left much to be desired. There record stacks were only on one side, so it was crowded and not particularly efficient. Apparently, my new thing is going to be criticizing record store organization. This must be the natural progression of old lady concert rules. Or something.
Since Silver Spring is so delightfully walkable, we moved on from Record Exchange to the greatest thing to happen to Maryland since, well, I don't know. I'm not from Maryland, so I probably don't get to have an opinion here. PJ's Coffee is my favorite coffee shop from New Orleans. I have dreams about this coffee. I order it online and will stock up when I visit. I follow PJ's on LinkedIn and saw an article about the Silver Spring store opening, and have been waiting to go for a visit. I've been telling Anita about this coffee for 20 years; that's how deep this love is. We stopped on our way to Joe's Record Exchange. We had iced mochas. We sat outside. We chatted with the lovely staff. I bought two pounds of coffee. As Anita said, "Miss Congeniality was wrong. The perfect day is not April 25th. It's this moment." It was glorious.
After our coffee break, we ventured on to Joe's Record Paradise. This particular shop is in the basement of a bank building and is exactly what you would expect from a record store in the basement of a bank building. Joe's has been open at some location since 1974, making it the oldest store we visited today. The current location is the fifth location and it's overwhelming in the best way possible. If you want to spend an afternoon browsing through the stacks and getting lost in the possibilities of music, Joe's is the place for you. The shop is really open, so you don't feel like you're on top of the person browsing next to you. The organization is amazing; labels are helpful and direct you to where you need to go. I keep a running list of music I want at all times, so I definitely had options here. I'm also on the hunt for East LA punk bands from the 70s and 80s (think The Brat, The Plugz, and The Undertakers), and thought I'd find them here, but no luck. I did find a great collection of New Wave and Art rock bands. I need to go back and spend more time there. Joe's also recycles vinyl that can't be sold, sending it to Nashville to be pressed back into new vinyl. That's pretty cool. Anita bought the Star Wars disco album, and we went on our way.
After a quick lunch at the Tastee Diner, we left our beautiful parking spot and drove over to Bump 'n Grind Coffee and Music. Bump 'n Grind is a coffee house that sells records and has music themed events. What's unique is that it's mostly/all dance/electronic/reggae music, so basically nothing either of us are interested in owning. The coffee is amazing (yes, we had a lot of coffee); order a flat white. You'll love it. But honestly, this was a disappointment from a music perspective. If you're going to be a coffee/music shop, commit. The music side of things feels incredibly manufactured, like it's for that one hipster guy who lives down the street and sues a magazine for using his hipster photo but it's not him. (This is a real thing that happened, and that is precisely the guy who would buy a record from this place.) Maybe I just don't get DJ culture or electronic music. Did I mention the coffee is really good? So while we did browse the records, we can't really count this as a record store. I'll call it half a store. Did I mention the coffee is really good?
Our final Maryland stop of the day was the delightful Purple Narwhal Music & Manga in Rockville. It's tucked away in a shopping center, so it's very possible to miss the store if you're not watching for their signs. They've been in business for a few years now, and have a mix of used vinyl and CDs and manga stuff. I know nothing about manga, but it looked like they had a nice collection of items for fans. Their vinyl section is great, neatly organized and a good mix of genres and artists. They had some RSD items left by the time we got there, but none of the other items we were looking for. I did find a used copy of "Heroes" my favorite of the Berlin-era Bowie albums, so I added that to my life. The owners were super nice. It was a nice way to end the Maryland portion of our day.
Over lunch, we decided we would end our day in Virginia with a visit to Crooked Beat. They moved to Alexandria a few years ago, and I haven't checked out the new space. We visited their old space in DC and it was a good experience. Crooked Beat specializes in new vinyl, with some used, and probably have one of the best RSD selections in the area (Soundgarden in Baltimore has the best). They always have extra security on RSD, and this year we were treated to his musings on the Masters. At first, I thought he was talking about either the Stanley Cup playoffs or the NBA playoffs, but had the realization that it was about golf. I've never experienced a conversation about golf in a record store, so yay, RSD first! I didn't buy anything, but want to come back and spend more time here. Crooked Beat has their own record label, with a focus on DC bands and musicians. They also stock a lot of obscure or less mainstream labels. It's a great place, and not that far from my house so I need to be better about visiting.
We finished our day at Beckett's Pub in Shirlington. This was the first RSD were there wasn't a theme by the middle of the day or a quest. It was just a beautiful April day spent hanging around other music fans and drinking coffee. If that's not a perfect day (said in a very Lou Reed way), I don't know what is.
Hope you got out and enjoyed your favorite local record store! If not, there's still time. It's called today or Tuesday or next Saturday. You don't need RSD to go visit, just go visit. You'll thank me for it later.
We finished our day at Beckett's Pub in Shirlington. This was the first RSD were there wasn't a theme by the middle of the day or a quest. It was just a beautiful April day spent hanging around other music fans and drinking coffee. If that's not a perfect day (said in a very Lou Reed way), I don't know what is.
Hope you got out and enjoyed your favorite local record store! If not, there's still time. It's called today or Tuesday or next Saturday. You don't need RSD to go visit, just go visit. You'll thank me for it later.
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| Seriously, he posed for this picture. I think he should be next year's RSD mascot. |
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