I had been meaning to hang a post about this all week but I kept forgetting. Casey Rea had the scoop in Seven Days regarding the new owner of Riverwalk Records. Here's a blurb from the article:
The good news is that Mullikin has already found a buyer for the business, and it isn't Hot Topic. Jacob Grossi, who provided Riverwalk Records with its vintage concert posters, is taking over as proprietor, effective immediately.I wish the guy good luck but I'm not sure how big the vinyl records and vintage posters business is in central VT. Having seen the posters in the store in the past, they are definitely cool posters to see and he even has some posters from more recent indie rock shows. I've seen some cool GBV posters. However, unless I saw a poster of a really memorable show that I know I attended, I probably wouldn't buy one. They aren't something that I collect and they don't appeal to me as something I'd decorate with in my house.
The 31-year-old entrepreneur and Worcester, Vermont, resident has been buying, selling and trading gig adverts for more than a decade. "I have one of the largest collections in the country," he explains. "My biggest batch is from Portland, Oregon -- I have over 20,000 pieces. You can really get a feel for how the music scene there has developed over time."
Grossi hopes to make his posters a big part of the new Riverwalk. "There will be a lot more high-end pieces," he explains. "It'll be definitely the only place in New England where you can see an original poster advertising a Bob Marley concert. We've got a full set of tickets to Jimi Hendrix at the Fillmore in 1969." Too bad he doesn't have a time machine.
Two other interesting tidbits from the article:
1) Patrick Mulikin is retaining the name "Howard Bean Cafe"
2) The Green Mountain Bob Dylan Wanna-Be Contest will continue next year.
5 comments:
but I'm not sure how big the vinyl records and vintage posters business is in central VT
Jacob agrees with this comment. His business is still primarily web-based. He sells most of his posters online through eBay and the like. He expects to take the vinyl catalog and get it into a database and make the records available online as well. Not just eBay. He is working to get his existing website (wait for the redirect) updated, including the vinyl. He realises not a lot of people are going to just drop in to browse in January. So he plans to use the store as a sort of gallery for the posters and a place to browse for LPs, used CDs, etc. He said he believes that people prefer to browse for LPs, but are willing to by poster art online.
I know all this because I applied to work there, but alas I didn't get the gig. Oh, well.
Good luck, Jacob!
Went in there yesterday. Couldn't tell much of a difference, beyond the fact that there wasn't a coffee smell and the woman working behind the counter had a wee one attached to her.
I was sifting through the Jethro Tull section when Tull's "Beggar's Farm" came on. She said it wasn't intentional.
Some kids came in and asked Jacob to donate item to be a part of a fundraiser auction to support some Cabot HS trip to Europe. I was amazed that he didn't know of Cabot - didn't know where it was, what type of people lived there, where they shopped, etc. Has he been in the area long? I'm afraid, as Flatlander pointed out, that he may not know his audiance too well. We'll wait and see.
I believe he gave the kids some classic rock poster. Good for him. I can only imagine how hard it is to donate items when you've only been open for three days. That's the type of thing that will give him a positive reputation.
I wish him the best.
I didn't know he was selling Bo's shirts. That's great to hear. Good for Bo.
Scully, thanks for the additional info. Sorry you didn't get the job. I'm glad he's utilizing the web and not just relying on foot traffic. It improves his chances.
Since You have copied at least one poster (Dylan) picture from my site;
BluesImageArt.com (formally BluesImage.com) you could at least give me some credit on your site.
Thanks,
Allan
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