Eric Johnson
Reporter
“Record stores can’t save your life. But they can give you a better one.” — Nick Hornby
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Shooting the (Lake) Breeze
Shooting the (Lake) Breeze: Vinyl, record stores spin around again
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Tim Townsend, owner of classic vinyl album emporium Black Circle Records, 516 Broad St. in Lake Geneva, never lost his lifelong passion for listening to music on old school vinyl despite the upstart rise of CD’s and internet-based digital downloads. Opening his retro nostalgic record store in 2012 with a foundational stock of nearly 4,000 albums culled from his personal collection, Townsend has been riding the trend-setting resurgence of vinyl and independent record stores, appealing to both new generations of vinyl fans and reconnecting the young-at-heart to the vinyl of their youth. Said Townsend of the enduring appeal of vinyl records, “Nothing beats the sound of good vinyl. Listening to music on vinyl is just the warmest, purest sound. It has heart and soul in it. The album art work draws you in. The liner notes draw you in. Listening to albums is a whole experience … You just don’t get that with the CD’s and downloads.”
Saturday, April 23 marks the 15th anniversary of the global observance of Record Store Day, a celebration of independent record stores like Black Circle Records, 516 Broad St. in Lake Geneva. Opened by Tim Townsend in 2012 with a starter inventory of nearly 4,000 albums culled from his personal collection, Black Circle Records has been riding a resurgence of interest in classic vintage vinyl record albums and indie record stores. Record Store Day, established as a day to celebrate and spread the word about the unique culture surrounding the nearly 1400 independently owned record stores in the U.S. and thousands more internationally, was first held in 2008 to publicize what has been hailed by many as the most improbable comeback story of the 21st Century - the resurgence of retro nostalgic vinyl albums and indie record stores.
Black Circle Records in Lake Geneva has offered up an array of classic old school vinyl record albums for a decade, riding a national resurgence in the popularity of vinyl and ndependent record stores. Said owner Tim Townsend, “People love it. They seek record stores out now. It’s a culture thing that brings people together. All it takes is one person to say something about an album or a concert and the next thing you know everybody is like, ‘Oh, I saw that concert’ or ‘I bought that album’ and everybody’s chiming in. It brings people together.”
From browsing albums in record stores and spinning vinyl at home on the hi-fi stereo to meeting your favorite artist, music is a unique, personal experience. Here, Lake Geneva Regional News reporter and columnist Eric Johnson meets Rock and Roll Hall of Fame lead guitarist, primary songwriter and frontman Rick Nielsen, of Rockford, Ill.-based rock band Cheap Trick, in August 2019.
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