Year 1 Time Capsule
I created an Anniversary Playlist this evening. I used our Instagram page to guide me through the year that passed and did my best to include the songs that made it more enjoyable. My journey with Irving Place Records started on February 1st when I created the Instagram account and shared the news of Don & Terry taking over the record store from Luke. I shared the store name and logo that was created by our friend Tim Wick.
Logo: Tim Wick from Wicks Pro Painting
The second post is where the playlist begins: Terry’s Favorite Albums of 2023. I included tracks from Sparks, Blur, The Lemon Twigs, slowdive and Wilco. While I don’t plan to list where every song came from, I wanted to give you an idea of how the journey helped create the playlist.
We introduced our Coming Soon! playlist which shares every single released from upcoming albums that we plan to carry. The majority of the songs on the playlist are favorites that first appeared there.
We also introduced the short-lived “Recommends” series of posts from Don & Terry: Gruff Rhys, Real Estate, Friko and The Maureens were recommended before the album suggestions stopped being received.
The store partnered with Label 51 Recordings and started looking for bands to include on a Milwaukee-based compilation. While the compilation was released on December 13, the news of its creation came early in the year. I chose not to include any of its songs on the Anniversary Playlist, but I did include the new single from our friend Nick Maas.
April 11: Our friend Dennis Clarke debuted his new show, Found All The Parts, on WMSE. I scrubbed his playlists and added a few of the newer songs that he played on the show.
April 13: Our soft opening. Our first customer? Lars! First purchase? Ella Fitzgerald’s 1957 album ‘Like Someone In Love’! T-shirts were literally flying off the shelves. While I never asked for an official total, the last update that I received from Terry was 79 sold!
April 20: Our first Record Store Day! Despite rumors of Terry baking the cupcakes that were the rage that day, he DID NOT!
June 15: We hosted our first Behind The Counter Show: The Mommyheads!
June 25: Paul & Terry took part in a Summerfest event called Milwaukee Remembers and played Mike Perotto’s song “Record Store” with a bunch of their friends. “Record Store” appeared on vinyl for the first time when ‘Notes from the Underground, Vol. 1 Milwaukee’ was released. The album was dedicated to his memory.
October 11: Matthew Caws stopped by the store before Nada Surf performed at Vivarium that night.
October 31: Little Terry in his Batman costume was officially welcomed on the Instagram page without a threatening “take that down” text being received. True story.
January 16: Victor DeLorenzo (original Violent Femmes drummer) hosted a Listening Party/Signing for the release of Night Crickets - ‘How It Ends (?)’ at the store.
April 3: OnMilwaukee’s Bobby Tanzilo announced our Anniversary Celebration plans (as well as details of our expansion). We hosted a Black Country, New Road Listening Party (and sold all of the signed albums that we ordered) shortly afterwards.
That’s when I turned the playlist over to you. Thank you for making our first year a great one!