INTERVIEW: Riding the wave of record love, VinylCon! expands to Los Angeles
Photo: VinylCon! will take place for the first time in Los Angeles, Aug. 23-24. Photo courtesy of Nick Centore / Provided by Champagne House Media with permission.
Vinyl is having more than a moment. This once “classic” way to enjoy music has caught fire in recent times with tons of new vinyl options, vinyl record stores and would-be collectors getting in on the game. Who would have thought a few years ago that vinyl would be back with a powerful presence in worldwide culture.
Riding that wave, and contributing to its strength, is VinylCon!, a traveling roadshow that emphasizes community, culture and crate-digging. The convention will make its West Coast debut this weekend, Aug. 23-24, at the California Market Center in Downtown Los Angeles. Visitors can expect plenty of sales options, DJ sets and meetups with fellow vinyl-heads.
Kobi Waldfogel is the founder of VinylCon! and is excited to bring the festival to the West Coast for the first time. He created this cultural experience two years ago, and now Los Angeles fans can participate.
Recently Hollywood Soapbox exchanged emails with Waldfogel to learn more about the vinyl phenomenon and what VinylCon! brings to the scene. Questions and answers have been slightly edited for style.
What motivated the decision to expand to the West Coast?
We felt like Los Angeles was a perfect fit for our show — such a rich music history and a super vibrant vinyl community. The largest record shows in the U.S. are in Austin, Texas, and NYC, why not LA? We wanted to do something special for the music lovers in SoCal where we made it big enough to attract vendors and collectors from all over the country to come in for a can’t-miss event.
For those who have never been, what can they expect?
We have over 80 vendors, many of whom are coming from outside of Southern California. This means we’ll have a selection of records that you are not going to see again in one place! With so many unique vendors, it’s like shopping at 80 different record shops at one time, each with their own spin and curation. Besides an insane amount of records, we have top-notch DJs like Cut Chemist, House Shoes, Large Pro and more. When you need to take a break, we have a full bar, food options and lounge seating!
Are you amazed by vinyl’s comeback?
I am in some ways, but also I think that it’s a natural “opposite” reaction to the world of streaming and digital music files. People want to have that connection with the artist’s music that only physical media can offer. Plus ownership is becoming more valuable — if you own it, you’ll always have it regardless of what’s available on streaming services!
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
VinylCon! will take place Aug. 23-24 at the California Market Center in Downtown Los Angeles. Click here for more information and tickets.
