Local record store reaches milestone

Rock and roll pioneer and soul crooner Chuck Berry once said, “Music is an important part of our culture and record stores play a vital part in keeping the power of music alive.”

T-Bone’s Record Store & Café keeps the tradition of local business and local music alive in the Hub City.

Saturday, T-Bone’s celebrated its 10-year anniversary while simultaneously recognizing the fifth annual national Record Store Day.

T-Bone’s store manager Mik Davis said local records stores are the key to real success in the music industry.

“Local business is the machine that keeps cities like ours growing,” Davis said. “In the music business, local record stores are the lifeblood of the industry itself. For us, it’s more than music. T-Bone’s is proud to be a local business.”

J-Dub & The Phonics musician and T-Bone’s patron Joey Munn attended the event in support of Hattiesburg’s only record store.

“I’m so proud to have grown up around a true home grown record store,” Munn said. “We should all be so lucky. They are a dying breed, and we are all lucky to have T-Bone’s around.”

According to www.recordstoreday.com, Record Store Day is “the one day that all of the independently owned record stores come together with artists to celebrate the art of music.”

The heavy metal band Metallica first celebrated Record Store Day on April 19, 2008 in San Francisco. The alternative holiday is now celebrated annually on the third Saturday in April.

T-Bone’s was one of thousands of participating local records stores across the country.

Beginning at 8 a.m., patrons enjoyed sales on vinyl records, CDS and music DVDs. The event included all-day specials and free gifts to patrons. Record Store Day exclusive releases and limited edition titles were given away with purchases in addition to commemorative tote bags, posters and t-shirts. A free Audio Technica turntable was also raffled.

“Two months ago we began brainstorming over this event,” Davis said. “The day began with a line outside of the store. The first shopper lined up at 4:30 a.m. to grab the new Flaming Lips double LP. We are still so ebullient over the support that we have from this wonderful city.”

Performances from local and regional bands began at noon. Participating bands included: Mississippi Shakedown, The Squirms, Cary Hudson of Blue Mountain, Thomas Jackson, Scott Chism & The Better Half, Mark Mann, Joe Johnson, Debauche and England in 1819.

Junior social work major Olivia Hogan visited T-Bone’s for the first time during their 10-year celebration.

“I stopped in to get lunch at the café and found myself quite surprised,” Hogan said.

“The mayor introduced Mississippi Shakedown, quite humorously. He had never heard them before and openly declared that. I admired the fact that Mayor Dupree made a proclamation for T-Bone’s to have a day allotted for their celebration and support by the local community.”

T-Bone’s staff, including Davis, was surprised by the turnout from local patrons.

“So many people from everywhere came in to shop and visit,” Davis said. “We are thankful that so many people visit and shop with us, so very thankful. The good people of Hattiesburg came to pour over all of the Record Store Day stock, drink coffee, eat sandwiches and listen to bands. The daily experience of the record store is never the same. No matter how you see everything always in its place, it continues to reconstitute itself in different ways.”