Record stores still spinning

Despite the current lack of local venues in which to perform their work and sell merchandise, Asheville-area musicians continue to release new music — and the city’s record stores are adapting to get physical copies to fans.

While Static Age Records owner Jesse McSwain stopped hosting live events on March 13 and closed the store’s retail space and bar three days later, he and his colleagues shifted to curated curbside pickups, individual browsing appointments and mail-order records, but for the past week have solely offered parcel deliveries via email at staticage.nc@gmail.com.

“Our live music calendar was especially exciting these coming months, but we expect the venue to be closed through June,” McSwain says. “Like many businesses globally, our ability to pay staff, rent or bills has come to a halt due to these necessary safety measures, and there is real danger of closing permanently. We hope to reopen when it is appropriate, but this seems contingent on some sort of financial aid. We remain optimistic that Asheville’s unique small businesses can recover from this crisis through creative support and we can all move forward with a greater sense of community and compassion.”

Over at Voltage Records, owner Jonathan Rhoden was hoping to offer curbside service and allow customer appointments for regulars and small groups, but with the county and state-ordered closure of all nonessential businesses, the store closed and likewise turned to online sales.

“In the over 17 years we’ve been open, we’ve never sold online, preferring to keep everything in-store so that our customers know that the ‘good stuff’ isn’t being held back,” Rhoden says. The shop has records posted on Discogs and continues to purchase LP collections. Sellers may contact Rhoden through Facebook or email at voltagerecords@live.com.

As for Harvest Records, owners Matt Schnable and Mark Capon made the difficult decision to close “for an indefinite amount of time” on March 27, ceasing its curbside pickup and mail-order services. But the store’s modest Discogs account remains active and customers can email Schnable and Capon with specific purchase requests at harvestrecords@gmail.com.

“We are doing this in accordance with Buncombe County’s ‘Stay Home, Stay Safe’ policy and also simply for the best interest and safety of our community,” they say. “As soon as we know when we’re going to reopen, we’ll be blasting that message to the public everywhere we can. In the meantime, please be safe and smart.”

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About Edwin Arnaudin
Edwin Arnaudin is a staff writer for Mountain Xpress. He also reviews films for ashevillemovies.com and is a member of the Southeastern Film Critics Association (SEFCA) and North Carolina Film Critics Association (NCFCA). Follow me @EdwinArnaudin

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