Stuart’s Opera House is hosting its annual record sale after a year off due to COVID-19. The opera house, 52 Public Square, Nelsonville, will be holding the record sale in its Grand Lobby on Sunday, Nov. 14 from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.
The record sale will host a plethora of vendors from in and around the Athens area and other regional areas in Ohio, like Columbus, Marietta and Parkersburg, W.Va.
It has been an annual tradition for over a decade. Tim Peacock, artistic director of Stuart’s Opera House, said the event started through a collaboration with Aquabear Legion, an Ohio music collaborative and record label.
The record sale was originally hosted at ARTS/West when Peacock and his friends, who are all avid music collectors, wanted to expand their love with others by selling and trading records.
As for hosting events at Stuart’s Opera House, Peacock said it feels great to have people inside the opera house once again, especially for the anticipated record show. He also added how the event makes up for the absence of a record store in the area.
“This is going to be as close to having a record store experience within Athens County,” Peacock said. “We have great vendors who come. We have a huge selection of old stuff, brand new stuff and everything in between.”
The event has continued throughout the years and become a great event for music lovers, Dylan Telerski, marketing and public relations director at Stuart’s Opera House, said.
“It's a great discovery experience, but it's also a great chance to be able to meet and talk with other people who are interested in the same things as you,” Telerski said.
Telerski said the event is a great opportunity to not only see and experience the atmosphere of the opera house but also to bond with other people over music and even talk about upcoming music shows in Athens.
The event is hoped to be bustling with music lovers sharing their love for hidden gems and classics. Vendors will be lined through the lobby selling records, CDs and other music-related items. The record sale can also be called a record swap and show sale for music lovers in southern Ohio.
For Jacob Myers, a sophomore studying sports management, listening to music on vinyl feels more authentic and has helped build community around a non-mainstream way of listening to music.
“I feel like through electronic media, it's not how the artists intended for you to hear it, like especially artists in like the ‘70s, ‘80s, ‘90s; a lot of their, if not most of their content came on vinyl records,” Myers said. “And just having a physical thing that you can show off and use whenever, and you don't have to go to some ulterior medium just makes it feel like a more authentic experience.”
Myers said he has been able to introduce people to listening to records and has grown closer to them because of it.
“There definitely is a community around people that collect vinyl records, and it's kind of fun to go around and compare which ones you have and which ones you want to get and go to specific vinyl stores to go shopping with them,” Myers said.
He also said he tries to find different sales whenever he can so he can listen to new music without making too much of a dent in his wallet.
Those at Stuart’s Opera House are looking forward to welcoming people to the event this weekend. The event requires proof of full vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test 72 hours prior, and admission is free for all.
