Round Again: Vinyl Night

Everything old sounds new again at 185 King's Vinyl Night.

Everything old sounds new again at 185 King’s Vinyl Night.

Video games, fancy phones, Pokémon Go — all of these innovations tend to impart irritation into the generation gap. But where technology fails to bring the different age groups together, analog acts like an olive branch. From Baby Boomers and Pre-Boomers with pristine collections of Beatles titles or girl-group recordings, to the 21-year-old waiting for his favorite underground rapper to drop the requisite decorative keepsake record along with the latest digital download (splashy neon vinyl is common), records seem simply too cool to die.

Their tactility, collectability, and unequaled sound (sorry, CDs) has lasted through a hundred years of vicissitudes in other recording forms; right now, the trend is so solid you can even pick up vinyl at big-box stores such as Barnes & Noble.

On the other hand, there’s still a happy exclusivity to the world of vinylheads, and a bimonthly event at 185 King Street in Brevard plays to those who covet their latest novelty score (via flea market or eBay) and want to show it off, or simply want to revel in the sound of platters spun on the club’s in-house turntable, a classic Technics SL 1200.

“Our vinyl nights [attract] all ages, all walks of life, and all genres. Our listening room was built for sound, so it’s the perfect environment to experience the warmth that vinyl produces,” says the club’s general manager Kristin Johns. “We hook the turntable up to the sound board into the full house system. You can expect to hear anything from Abba to Zappa.

“People enjoy sharing their recent finds, rare gems, and all-time favorites, as well as getting to experience it in a way they may not necessarily be able to do with their home systems,” she adds.

Johns acknowledges the “huge resurgence” in vinyl appreciation. “I think a lot more modern artists are releasing albums now, which makes it more accessible to the masses,” she says. “People are rediscovering or experiencing for the first time the unique sound qualities that you can’t get from digital recordings.”

Vinyl Night happens next on Wednesday, July 27, 6-10pm. 185 King St., Brevard. 828-877-1850.

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