Crate Digging: The Brooklyn Flea & WFMU Record Fairs
Getting my hands dirty in Willamsburg and Maspeth - plus a quick stop in Lowell, MA
Separated by only two weeks, the Brooklyn Flea and WFMU record fairs made a strong showing recently, unleashing crate diggers of all varieties on scores of dealers and labels. While there was definitely some crossover between the two events, they each had their own flavors. Even though I’m so often focused on what’s new and what’s next, record fairs can be an incredible opportunity for me to fill in gaps and make new discoveries from the past. Here’s what transpired for this selective shopper, who left both with a fairly full bag of polyvinyl chloride and cardboard.
The Brooklyn Flea Record Fair
Marsha P. Johnson State Park
Williamsburg, Brooklyn
September 30th, 2023
Spin off from a busy hurricane season made outdoor events a dicy affair in NYC this fall but my daughter and I lucked out on our first time back to this event since before the pandemic. We passed through Smorgasburg first and carbo-loaded some truffle fries while caffeinating with an unusual - and delicious- blend of cold brew and lemonade.
Thus fortified, we took in the lay of the land, strolling by tent after tent of either dealers of used vinyl or labels. Things were buzzing on both sides of the tables and everyone seemed stoked to be there. It was hard to know where to start until I spotted Carolina Soul at the end of one row and was unable to resist their signs promising “Everything $5 or 4 for $15.” A simple pricing scheme and the promise of a further bargain - what could be better?
In truth, a lot of the records were too beat up to risk, leading to some heartbreaking moments as when I had to return trashed copies of Stand by Sly & The Family Stone and One Nation Under A Groove by Funkadelic to the crates. I also spotted many things I already had, such as when I unsuccessfully tried to get someone - anyone - to buy a very clean copy of Night People, Lee Dorsey’s terrific final album from 1978, which is still out of print.
But then there were the wins! A nearly immaculate copy of To Be Continued, Isaac Hayes’ fourth solo album, which gets unaccountably ignored, likely because it occupies the valley between Hot Buttered Soul and Black Moses, even though it is very much their equal. An original pressing, with most of the shrink wrap still extant, of Live Peace In Toronto by the Plastic Ono Band - say what you want, side one RIPS and Yoko’s stuff on side two still sounds ahead of its time. A well-cared for Asylum pressing of Planet Waves, an album that would be seen as a triumph for anyone else but for Bob Dylan is practically a stepchild to Blood On The Tracks and Desire. Dirge, Wedding Song, and Hazel are all favorites, along with that little ditty known as Forever Young. And finally, I took a chance on Jose Feliciano’s That The Spirit Needs, a 1971 album with a bonkers painting (half person/half elephant anyone?) on the cover that seemed to have been replaced by something far more anodyne shortly after release. I’m not exactly sure when Feliciano’s path diverged from mine but I’m happy to say that this album finds him solidly in the zone, starting with Come Down Jesus, the gospelized lament that opens the album, and ending with with the stunning electric guitar of the swampy Pay Day.
We continued on and noticed the buzz around the Captured Tracks used selections, which turned out to be rich indeed. Much of it was out of my range financially, but then I stumbled on an original pressing of Let It Bleed for $18. Literally the day before, while engaged in the Twitter-based delight of Richard Shaw’s #5albums challenge, I said out loud: why don’t I have Let It Bleed? It’s only slightly less perfect than Sticky Fingers and Exile On Main Street, ferchrissakes! Since it was lacking the poster and had a concerning mark on side A I haggled it down to $15. Some crackle but it plays great. While I’ve listened to it many times on Spotify, the way the bass - played by Keith Richards - on Live With Me comes off the black plastic and slices through my living room is as good an argument for vinyl as any, not to mention the way the London Bach Choir on You Can’t Always Get What You Want seemed to levitate my entire building.
While wandering, I stopped to chat with folks from Mexican Summer and Greenway, two stalwart indie labels. I was happy to learn from the latter that more music is coming from Levitation Room, as it’s been awhile.
We made our way to a vendor named Berlyant, who’s selling on Discogs and hoping to transition to brick and mortar soon. His selection could practically have come off my own shelves, so I wasn’t sure I’d find anything but I decided to give a quick look through the small selection of soundtracks on the ground. Bingo! A practically unplayed copy of Vladimir Cosma’s score for Diva, the Jean-Jacques Beineix film from 1981, for $5. The movie and music were a sensation back then and I’m happy to say that Cosma’s material still sounds fantastic, whether the Satie-esque piano piece, Sentimental Walk, or the mesmerizing electronic tracks. The aria from Alfredo Catalani’s La Wally sounds a little out of place at this late date even though it played an important part of the film - or maybe I just need to watch it again.
Next to Berlyant was another dealer who was lamenting about a load of records damaged in the flash flooding of a week or two prior but all of his stuff was super-clean, including a copy of Steely Dan’s Gaucho ($15), which was the only album of their original run I didn’t have on vinyl due to the several years of lag time before I learned to appreciate it. Even though I was a massive Steely Dan fan, I needed to be older and wiser before it’s glossy melancholia hit home. Another discography complete and, man, does it sound GOOD!
By that point, I was feeling pretty burnt so my daughter, who had a grabbed a signed copy of Miss Grit’s excellent Follow The Cyborg, and I headed for the exit. I nearly tripped over a cart promising $2 records so I just had to take a look. Something about Tim Moore’s plaintive expression on his self-titled 1974 debut grabbed me as did the inclusion of studio maestros Bernard Purdie, Russ Kunkel, and Howard Johnson. A look at Allmusic’s 4.5-star review (“…this album is brimming with hooks and melodies, a smorgasbord of sound.”) pushed me over the edge and I snapped it up. While my position might soften, I found it bit more soft rock than folk rock when I listened. So a little out of my wheelhouse, unfortunately. The man is talented, however, and side two picks things up considerably, so I’ll see if resetting my expectations changes my impressions.
All in all it was a very successful return to the Brooklyn Flea for collectors, listeners, sellers, and labels. Long may it reign.
The WFMU Record Fair
Knockdown Center
Maspeth, Queens
October 15, 2023
Even though my two favorite shows (Mudd Up with DJ/Rupture and The Duane Train with Duane Harriott) are long gone, I was psyched to drive to Maspeth to support WFMU, which is overwhelmingly a force for good on the cultural landscape, at their first fair since 2019.
The last time I entered the giant indoor space at this former door factory it was crammed with Palm and Crumb fans. Now it was equally crammed with LPs and CDs and buyers and sellers. After a stroll around to get my bearings, I spotted a dealer similar to Carolina Soul, with many unsorted boxes of LPs selling for $5 each or 3 for $10. I very quickly scored a must-buy: Almighty Fire (1978), one of the lost/suppressed Aretha Frankin albums from the latter days of her Atlantic tenure. Produced by Curtis Mayfield, it’s a fine and funky record and, while not an all-time classic, superior to Hey Now Hey (The Other Side of the Sky), which continues to be reissued.
I also saw a copy of Al Wilson’s Show and Tell, one of the five albums on the cover of Paul’s Boutique, but put it back to conserve funds after I realized it was on Spotify. I did the same with a live Ike & Tina Turner album, which was later grabbed up by Lindsay Zoladz of the New York Times. Then I struck gold again - or so I thought: Ever Ready, a Johnnie Taylor album on Columbia from 1978, something I had never seen before. The vinyl was dispiritedly marked up and I was worried that it would sound terrible so I put it back. Maybe another copy would show up in their crates or at another vendor.
I moved on and found myself unable to resist a copy of Billy Cobham’s Spectrum (1973) for $10, a jazz fusion classic of the highest order, from an Albany-based seller. While the cover was worn, the vinyl almost looked unplayed. It sounds incredible, with Cobham’s next-level phased and panned drums seeming to take up occupancy in my living room.
I chatted a bit with the proprietor of Baby’s All Right, one of the best clubs in Brooklyn, who recently opened Billy’s Record Salon and was plying his wares at a small table. While I’m still excited to visit his store, the items at the fair were too rich for my blood even if holding first-press legendary jazz albums was its own thrill.
I circled back to the WFMU tables, which were adorned with signs saying “20 LP Browsing Limit,” a proscription I’ve never seen before and don’t even quite understand…but maybe it was warranted on Saturday, when things were likely a bit busier. In any case, I wasn’t fighting anyone for crate position as I searched through what was left of their library’s castoffs and duplicates. Hopefully among the latter was a sealed copy of No Fool Like An Old Fool (2018) by Caroline Says, a fine album of intimate indie folk, for $3. I picked that one up for my daughter since she was unable to make it to Maspeth. I also found a Feeding Tube release, Mark Dagley: Collected Works 1978-2016, which I had totally missed when it came out, for $6. When I went to pay, the gentleman running the table said, “You look like you know what you’re buying!” I responded: “You are looking at possibly the only living Hi Sheriff’s Of Blue stan, and Dagley was their fearless leader, so I’m very excited to find this!” And what a great overview of a unique artist it is, from tape experiments to forays into dance punk, and even includes Dark Was The Night, a Hi Sheriffs track making its first appearance since its original release on their third single.
By that time I had looked at hundreds if not thousands of records and still could not get that Johnnie Taylor record off my mind. So I went back and decided if I could find it again, I would buy it no matter what. I am so glad I did! It turns out I was being overly cautious as it plays great and is a terrific album full of disco-fied funky soul and r&b ballads. Taylor was still in his prime in 1978 and I’m now two albums away from completing the Columbia discography of this under-appreciated artist.
At that point, I was well and truly DONE and very happy with what I found. Do I really have to wait a whole year for these record fairs to return? I may have to seek out other fairs in and around NYC to make the wait easier - let me know which ones you recommend!
Bonus: Active Listening
Vinyl Destination
Mill No. 5, 250 Jackson St, Lowell, MA 01852
One thing I enjoy about record shopping is keeping my ears open to the conversations around me. What are other people looking for? What possible trends can be spotted among the interests of others. So my antenna were up the last time I stopped into this nice little shop near where my son lives and I was definitely interested when a young woman came in and asked if they had any Doris Day albums for her friend. The proprietor was very helpful and looked in a few spots before determining they had none. Now, just a few minutes before I had spotted a very nice copy of The Fabulous Peggy Lee, a 1963 album that includes her mesmerizing performance of Johnny Guitar. I pulled it out and showed it to the woman, telling her that if her friend liked Doris Day, she would definitely like Peggy Lee. She ran out to check and soon returned to buy the album. Making a new connection for a music lover - and helping a dealer make a sale - is almost as satisfying as finding something on my own want list! Crate digging can be competitive but it can also be an opportunity for sharing and generosity so make sure to listen actively while you let your fingers do the walking through the records.
Share your recent record store and record fair experiences!
From the archives:
Record Fair Thoughts
The Brooklyn Flea Record Fair
"Making a new connection for a music lover - and helping a dealer make a sale - is almost as satisfying as finding something on my own want list! Crate digging can be competitive but it can also be an opportunity for sharing and generosity"
One of the hugely underrated parts of crate digging! That's just not something you get with Spotify...
"The only 'Hi Sheriffs of Blue stan.'" I think that is a safe assertion, Jeremy.