11/05 @ Love Vinyl, Schenectady

“Fans were all smiles, flipping through records, and occasionally singing under their breath.”

It was a rainy evening in Schenectady on Wednesday, November 5. The local news warned of winds threatening to reach up to 60 miles an hour and a crisp chill set up shop in the Capital Region, a chill we won’t shake for many months.

Luckily, the weather did not deter Love Vinyl in Schenectady. Their windows were brightly lit, filled with posters and signs, and an advertisement on the door for “Ego Nite” — a one night listening and release party for the long anticipated third solo album of Paramore’s frontwoman, Hayley Williams. Williams initially released the songs as individual singles at the end of July. Fans were quick to notice and, in the modern age of streaming, attempted to curate their own playlists — a “would be” track list had Williams released the music as a cohesive album. This sparked a larger conversation among her fans as they soon collaborated on which songs should go where in a hypothetical sequencing.

Months after stirring up fan engagement, Williams released the collection of an astonishing 20 singles and titled the album after one of the tracks, Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party. Love Vinyl was one of the independent record stores listed on Williams’s Instagram post advertising a slate of listening parties across the country – November 5 only.

Upon walking into the store, party goers were immediately greeted by Mark and Adam behind the counter, faces obscured by a display of Williams’s record, stickers with her initials, matching totebags, and a signed CD that would be a free raffle prize at the end of the night.

Fans huddled in different nooks of the store, which is painted a matte black with red accents, giving the alternative, yet accessible atmosphere one would hope for from a record store. The bins have a vast selection of albums, ranging from classics to new releases, with a few rarer hidden gems, if you look closely.

After a sizable crowd gathered, the store employees kicked the night off by playing a video of Williams welcoming everyone to the event, thanking them, and urging them to not only shop local, but get involved in their local music scene.

The message was not lost on the attendees. As soon as Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party started spinning, folks loosened up and started mingling.

Fans were all smiles, flipping through records, and occasionally singing under their breaths. Some people would turn to their friends to emphasize a particular lyric before returning to the bin they were exploring. As the night progressed, people started talking to those around them, getting to know each other, and even dissecting lyrics together.

Once the album ended — flying by even though it was twenty tracks — everyone clapped despite themselves in this fan space we created together, devoid of self consciousness.

After pulling the name of the person who received the prized signed CD, the workers at Love Vinyl announced that they had sold out of Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party and offered to get more. They also mentioned that they take requests, if anyone wants help finding a particular record. Knowing their crowd, they put Williams’s first record on as the group slowly dispersed.

In the video Williams started the evening with, she said this record was her “favorite experience putting out music ever” mostly due to how fans interacted with the material. Record releases in the time of streaming can feel a bit detached and lacking community, but Love Vinyl created a space for fans to enjoy artists’ work and engage with each other in person.

The next time your favorite artist releases music, look to local record shops. Love Vinyl will even special order for you.

Love Vinyl is located at 140 Erie Boulevard in Schenectady. You can find them on Instagram and Facebook: @lovevinylrecords, their Discogs: love-vinyl-records, and their website: lovevinylrecords.com.