Record Store Meet Up invites residents to travel through SoCal cities every other month in search of their next best vinyl find.
When someone enters a shop on the Record Store Meet Up tour, they are greeted with a sign, a button, a nametag and a warm welcome from club founder Crystal Martinez.
They are then thrown into an at-your-own-pace browsing mingling session with fellow vinyl connoisseurs searching for their next prized find. Oftentimes, those people linger for over an hour, exchanging phone numbers, plans and music recommendations before exploring the nearby shops or heading out to lunch together.
This music-minded meetup was created by Martinez a year ago, and to celebrate the one-year anniversary of the Record Store Meet Ups, the group is returning to the place where it all began: Fingerprints Music on Fourth Street in Long Beach.
“It just makes me so happy when I see someone I haven’t seen before come to a meeting and to see people start talking to each other and making new friendships,” Martinez said. “That just makes me so happy because I love building community and supporting these small businesses and these record stores. They are so important.”
Martinez has come a long way with her vinyl collection. At just over 100 records, she states firmly “it’s not as robust as I would like.”
Her collection is a mix of vinyls she’s found on her own, like her first-ever Tower Records purchase, “The Secret of Elena’s Tomb” by alternative band …And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of The Dead, and records she inherited from her father after he passed away in 2021, which she said motivated her to get back into records.
Martinez got the inspiration for her meetups through another beloved Long Beach small business, Bel Canto Books. The indie bookshop that prides itself on diverse offerings has also invited readers on Indie Bookstore Field Trips in the past, of which Martinez was a devoted attendee. She asked Bel Canto Books owner Jhoanna Belfer if she could tweak the idea and got the stamp of approval.
Fingerprints was her first choice, and once she got the go ahead from its owner, she lovingly “bullied” a few of her friends into attending the first meetup.
Record Store Meet Up now gathers every other month on a Sunday, exploring the record store scene in Long Beach, Los Angeles, Pasadena and surrounding cities. The month-long breaks are so attendees have time to save up for their next prized purchase.
Martinez said she hasn’t even been able to make a dent in her “to visit” list, as she’s regularly scouting locations that will have a bit of something for everyone.
She makes sure the location and staff are as welcoming as her club, the primary identifier for the group. Whether someone is into punk, rock, rap or anything in between, if they’re a newbie just building up their collection or a connoisseur searching for rare used finds, everyone is welcome at Record Store Meet Ups.
Once in a while, Martinez collaborates with Metro Session for a day of vinyls DJ sets.
The one-year anniversary of Record Store Meet Up gatherings will take place on Sunday, Jan. 14 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Fingerprints Music at 420 E Fourth St.
For updates on future meetups, follow @recordstoremeetup on Instagram. Residents can also RSVP for free on Eventbrite.
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