The world celebrated the ninth annual Record Store Day on Saturday, April 16. The festivities, which occur on the third Saturday of April, honor independent record stores. This year, The News-Letter decided to mark the occasion by reaching out to Celebrated Summer Records, a local store, for an interview and some insight into independent music culture. Owner Tony Pence spoke about the store and his relationship with music.
This interview has been edited and condensed.
The News-Letter: When did you first open?
Tony Pence: Celebrated Summer opened on August 4, 2006 in our first location, which was in Towson, inside of Legends Comics. We moved to Hampden in 2010. 2016 is our ten-year anniversary, and we are really excited we made it this long!
N-L: What motivated you to open the store? What was your initial vision?
TP: I had previously worked at Reptilian Records in Fells Point from 1995-2005. When they decided to move locations and eventually closed, I opened CSR. My initial vision was to have an underground Punk and Hardcore record store out in the County for the kids who were too young to make it into the city – a place that was friendly and non-judgmental where people could be exposed to different kinds of underground music.
N-L: Do you have a preference for any specific genre of music at your store? Why?
TP: Although the initial concept was to focus on punk, hardcore and indie rock it was never the only things we carried. Right off the bat, my interest in soul and jazz was apparent, and since we have moved to Hampden that aspect of the store has become even more important to me. Browsing the racks you will be just as likely to find John and Alice Coltrane or Otis Redding as The Ramones and Metallica. We carry Led Zeppelin and Bruce Springsteen as well, but my tastes and the focus of the shop tend to lean towards the esoteric, whether in punk, jazz or reggae.
N-L: What about a preferred medium: vinyl, tape, CD? Why?
TP: When we started out it was CD/tape and vinyl. After a few years, CDs were on the decline and vinyl was really making a strong come back, which is amazing when you think about it.
We jettisoned carrying CD’s a few years back, and now it is 95 percent vinyl and a small selection of tapes, most of which are local demos.
N-L: What goes into your selection process for your inventory?
TP: It breaks down in several ways. With brand new vinyl I would say that most of the selection is down to my personal taste. A lot of punk, hardcore and indie rock with a good dose of jazz, reggae and other interesting re-issues. With the used stuff it is more random since I am buying different people’s collections from all walks of life. The most important thing is to make sure that the records are in good condition and not the types of things you would find at the local Goodwill or a bad yard sale. Along with the punk and stuff you would expect, I bring in tons of soul, funk, disco and classic rock, hip-hop and techno as well, although it is a bit harder to find in good condition.
N-L: What makes music important to you?
TP: There is no chance I would still be alive without it.
Celebrated Summer Records is located at 3616 Falls Rd. in Hampden, a little over a mile from campus. The store is open from noon to seven, Monday through Sunday.
