NEPA Scene Staff

Online screening of ‘Vinyl Nation’ documentary benefits indie record stores like Gallery of Sound in Wilkes-Barre and Dickson City

Online screening of ‘Vinyl Nation’ documentary benefits indie record stores like Gallery of Sound in Wilkes-Barre and Dickson City
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“Vinyl Nation,” a documentary about the resurgence of vinyl records, the diversification of vinyl fans, and what this means for America today, was scheduled to premiere in theaters and with some special record store screenings on the weekend of Record Store Day, but that all changed because of the coronavirus pandemic.

To help record stores during these challenging times, the filmmakers are presenting a one-time online screening of “Vinyl Nation” on Saturday, April 18 and Sunday, April 19, in association with Record Store Day. All ticket proceeds go to local record stores participating in this special screening, including the Gallery of Sound stores in Wilkes-Barre and Dickson City.

Tickets, which are $10, are on sale now via Brown Paper Tickets. This link allows the filmmakers to track the purchases directly back to the Gallery of Sound, which will receive the full $10 face value from each virtual ticket.

No one has seen “Vinyl Nation” yet, so this will be the first time the film is available to the public. Just prior to the screening weekend, customers will be e-mailed a password to access the digital screening, which will be available to watch from midnight on April 18 through 11:59 p.m. on April 19. The trailer was just released a few days ago:

“Vinyl Nation” is a deep dig into the crates of the vinyl record revival to discover what an old technology says about our relationship to music and each other in a divided time in America. The online premiere will be held on the original Record Store Day, which has been postponed from April 18 to June 20. This annual event promotes independent record stores by offering “special vinyl and CD releases and various promotional products are made exclusively for the day. Festivities include performances, cookouts, body painting, meet and greets with artists, parades, DJs spinning records, and on and on.”

“We’ve decided that the best of all possible moves is to change the date of Record Store Day this year to Saturday, June 20. We think this gives stores around the world the best chance to have a profitable, successful Record Store Day, while taking into consideration the recommendations of doctors, scientists, the World Health Organization, Centers for Disease Control, and the need to be good citizens of both local and worldwide communities,” the organizers of Record Store Day posted on its website.

“We’re working with all of our partners and our stores to make this change as smooth as possible for everyone who participates in Record Store Day: customers, record stores, artists, labels, and more. Record Store Day is everywhere, and we want to hold our party when everyone can gather around safely to celebrate life, art, music, and the culture of the indie record store.”

While both Gallery of Sound stores are currently closed due to COVID-19, new releases are still coming out (such as the appropriately titled “The New Abnormal” by The Strokes) and employees are still shipping orders from galleryofsound.com while offering curbside pickup from the main store (186 Mundy St., Wilkes-Barre).

The shop was recently featured on “Behind the Counter,” a 12-part video series by Record Store Day, Dogfish Head Brewery, and Classic Album Sundays that takes “you inside the weird and wonderful world of independent record stores of the U.S.”

“We’re a local business. It’s a family-owned business; you know the money stays in the community,” co-owner Joe Nardone Jr. said. “That’s something that we’re proud of and something that we hang our hat on.”

Photo by Scott Kucharski Photography