Austin Record Shopping Adventure 2017

I recently visited Austin, Texas for a business meeting.  As I always do when visiting other cities, I go to the vinyl shops.   Austin is one of the best places to do this in the country.


First Stop was End of an Ear.




They've moved to a larger location since the last time I was here.   Nice store with friendly clerks.   They even threw in a free canvas bag when I told them I was playing record store tourist.

The building itself is kind of nondescript, but I expect that will change as they settle into their new digs.





I came away with this stack.

I had just enough time to get back to the hotel for a business dinner at The Salt Lick.   Don't look at the picture if you're vegetarian.   One individual in our group was a vegetarian.  He decided to make other arrangements for dinner.



The following evening I was on my own and hit up two stores on the other side of town.


First up Breakaway Records.

A nice little store seemingly in a residential area.

In addition to vinyl, they sell restored vintage turntables at reasonable prices.   A few of the kiddie players line the windows.    They also are fans of the Technics SL-D2 models as am I.  It's the house turntable in the store.

I came away with this stack





What  - Let It Be?   All those records and you don't have a Beatles title.    Rest assured.  Long ago I replaced my beat up Beatles albums I had since elementary school with UK pressings.  The UK Let It Be had no gatefold.   The record pictured here is pretty hacked up,   I bought it for the cover.


Next up was good old Antone's

Nice store.   Found some decent titles reasonably priced.    There was a guy in the store who couldn't decide which Eagles record to buy, so he kept playing them while the clerk advised that he might like Hot Tuna.  Thankfully for my shopping enjoyment, the clerk put on Burgers for him to sample.

I came away with this stack.

And I ain't done yet.  Lee Ranaldo of Sonic Youth fame was playing in town.  I snagged a ticket in the afternoon.  I bought the vinyl they had on sale at the gig.

And those you familiar with Austin are probably asking  - "What about Waterloo?"    Sure it's a huge store with lots of vinyl.  The biggest in the state.  I find it too big and expensive.  Every time I've been there I've waked out without any records.    Just too overwhelming for me. I actually get bored going through the bins.    Call me a grumpy old man, but I have the same issue with Amoeba Hollywood and Amoeba Berkeley.