By the turn of the century, vinyl appeared in the twilight of its years and seemingly marked for death.
Suffolk County is home to nine of such shops at the forefront of the 21st century revinylization.
Lines wrap around the shops for colored vinyl, picture discs, new remasters, first-time vinyl pressings and long sought out-of-print rarities, all of which are generally limited to a few thousand copies.
There is also a RSD Black Friday event, in which indie stores receive another batch of exclusive titles the day after Thanksgiving.
The second are the bar-hopers and dinner-daters who begin to spill in after 6 p.m., according to two of the shop’s employees.
He is a self-professed soul, reggae, and hip-hop head, while Izzy is well-versed in 70s rock.
The store’s organization and display method for new 45s is its standout feature and surpasses that of other shops, where they tend to be sequestered in a separate section.
In the past, the wall has boasted a myriad of repressed classics, from Nirvana’s “Nevermind” to “Led Zeppelin II” and Nas’ “Illmatic” to Miles Davis’ “Kind of Blue.” This month, the wall boasts Judas Priest’s “Painkiller,” Lana Del Ray’s “Born to Die,” Nina Simone’s “Little Girl Blue,” and 10 others.
From lines around the block, to eating and drinking in the street all scored by live performances, the shop pulls out all the stops.