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Posters show the variety of music that can be found at Alley Cat Records in downtown Greenville.
High June performs during the preview party on Oct. 8.
Alley Cat Records is located on 205 E. Fifth St., next door to Blackbeard’s Coffee.
Alley Cat Records co-manager Jeff Blinder hangs out with visiting musician from New York, Maddy Walsh, during the store’s preview party.
The eclectic collection at Alley Cat Records fills display cases and lines the walls.
The eclectic collection at Alley Cat Records fills display cases and lines the walls.
Tom Jones' and Willie Nelson's four-disc CD sets are displayed next to one another.
Morgan Hudson Vickers performed for Alley Cat Records preview party on Oct. 8.
The long-awaited vision by David Brown of David 's Used Books and Records becomes a reality this weekend, with the opening of Alley Cat Records.
Posters show the variety of music that can be found at Alley Cat Records in downtown Greenville.
High June performs during the preview party on Oct. 8.
Alley Cat Records is located on 205 E. Fifth St., next door to Blackbeard’s Coffee.
Alley Cat Records co-manager Jeff Blinder hangs out with visiting musician from New York, Maddy Walsh, during the store’s preview party.
The eclectic collection at Alley Cat Records fills display cases and lines the walls.
The eclectic collection at Alley Cat Records fills display cases and lines the walls.
Tom Jones' and Willie Nelson's four-disc CD sets are displayed next to one another.
Morgan Hudson Vickers performed for Alley Cat Records preview party on Oct. 8.
The long-awaited vision by David Brown of David 's Used Books and Records becomes a reality this weekend, with the opening of Alley Cat Records.
Whoa ... an unassuming storefront in the heart of Greenville is charged with the spirit of the open-shirted, gold-necklaced musician. His four-disc set rubs shoulders with the red-headed stranger and Conway Twitty, hovering over Placido Domingo and John Denver like the godfather of chest hair.
My, my, my, Tom Jones might have had to wait a few years for an answer to the question in his 1965 hit, but entrepreneur David Brown and local spazzevangelist and eclectic music curator Jeff Blinder are happy to provide one that’s just purrfect: “Alley Cat Records.”
The record store opens today at 205 E. Fifth St., next door to Blackbeard’s Coffee. It’s the long-awaited culmination of a vision by David Brown, owner of David’s Used Books and Records at 107 E. Arlington, Jeff Blinder, the communications and events coordinator, and co-manager Dallas Dawes. A private “preview party” last Saturday gave faithful fans a taste of what is to come.
Without a lot of signage in place yet, opening the front door holds a prohibition-era, speak-easy sort of mystique about it. But uncertainties are quickly calmed by a vibe that shouts: this place has got groove. The narrow, shot-gun style store configuration is suited for the long rows of records, organized and labeled for addictive perusal. Band posters lining the walls are colorful tributes, a kaleidoscope of the ghosts of music-past and present. The ghosts of music present and future are palpable in an energetic, thumping soundtrack of drums, bass and synthesized punctuation, providing an aural backdrop that becomes the very heartbeat of the store.
Wearing dark sunglasses, his hands cupped over his harmonica, a two-dimensional, black and white Bob Dylan holds court from “The Bootleg Series.” David Bowie’s piercing eyes and hand gestures are timeless reminders of his 1977 album, “Heroes.” Elvis shares wall space with The Doors, and the four walls are like a welcoming Graceland of music.
Preview purveyors mingle with musicians and guests, with only sequined jackets and silver shoes to hint the difference, like a Sesame Street game of “One of these things is not like the other.” The prevailing fashion statement, not surprisingly, is the timeless, always posh, band T-shirt.
The Rolling Stones’ Emotional Rescue squats just below the first-ever pressing of “Have Moicy!”... the 1976 album released by Michael Hurley, The Unholy Modal Rounders, and Jeffrey Fredericks & the Clamtones. The Winchester pressing of The Beatles “Let it Be,” still in shrinkwrap, is featured alongside a “very rare misprint” of Led Zeppelin’s 1971 album, “IV,” with Side 1 on both sides. A sealed copy of Bobby Vinton’s “Please Love Me Forever,” still bears a Sears Roebuck and Co. sticker. Just the sight of it brings to mind the retro charm of wishbooks and record players, and Alley Cat Records scratches the contemporary itch to reclaim that feeling.
Miles Davis wields a horn right next to free-spirited Janis Joplin, visually underscoring a comment by Blinder’s brother, Jay, who attended the preview along with other kin, saying, “Jeff tries to introduce people to all kinds of music … that’s why he offers such a variety, so many genres. Sometimes I’ll hear something different and realize … I like that.”
Jeff Blinder, himself, scurries about the store like a benevolent band butterfly, with practical doings, like placing waste bins in strategic locations and scrounging up needed microphone stands. But he pauses to hug and fistbump new arrivals, grinning as musical comrades share his contagious enthusiasm.
“Maddy Walsh from New York just walked in the door,” Blinder stage whispers excitedly to those standing nearby, and they follow his gaze. Even without knowing she is a performer, anyone could have guessed it. Her striking looks are enhanced by a red sequin dress that gets a lot of mileage out of a little material, and a flowing, diaphanous coat of many colors.
A modest stage area comes alive with bands invited to the soiree through Blinder’s famous “curation” techniques. Some are described with Wheel of Fortunesque names, such as VSTLTY, and RTHBNDR, as if vowels must be bought. The latter is pronounced “Earthbender,” apparently because language cannot be spoken with consonants alone.
Morgan Hudson Vickers takes the stage for more than one short set, strumming her purple guitar and belting with professionally wild abandon, even while instruments and equipment are being hauled in and out around her. She slips in a quick plug for her album being released on 11/11.
As Blinder announces that Maddy Walsh will be performing at Nash Hot Chicken later that evening, with Vickers opening, Blinder is already demonstrating how seamlessly the businesses in the district plan to work together, supporting one another.
The lead vocalist from “High June,” pauses to express the prevailing sentiment: “I want to start a record collection after coming here.”
“It’s been like a decade since East Coast Music & Video went away (the last REAL record shop) and 20 years since a shop downtown (Uptown) existed, which was CD Alley back when I first came to Greenville,” Blinder remembers. “It was one of the deciding factors in why I wanted to make this city my home.”
With an inventory of vinyl from Arthur Murray’s Orchestra to ZZ Top, anyone would be hard-pressed not to find at least 33 reasons per minute to visit Alley Cat Records. Store hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday-Saturday and noon to 4 p.m. on Sunday.
Columnist Donna Davis enjoys jamming with local musicians and writing about them. Contact her at donnadavisdavis@gmail.com.
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