INDIE MUSIC STORES KNOW THE MUSIC SCENE BETTER THAN ANYONE!
PAPA RAY'S VINTAGE VINYL ROADSHOW IS A DOCUMENTARY SERIES, HOSTED BY TOM 'PAPA' RAY. EACH 30-MINUTE EPISODE SHOWS US THE DYNAMICS AND VITALITY OF INDEPENDENT RECORD STORES - OWNERS, EMPLOYEES, CUSTOMERS, MUSIC, MUSICIANS, AND THE LANDSCAPE OF THE CITY IN WHICH THEY RESIDE.
AFTER BEING A MAINSTAY FOR OVER FOUR DECADES IN THE DELMAR LOOP, IN ST. LOUIS,
MISSOURI, AND BEING RECOGNIZED AS BEING "ONE OF THE 10 BEST RECORD STORES INTHE U.S.', THE OWNER OF VINTAGE VINYL, TOM 'PAPA; RAY, WHILE RECOUNTING THE CULTURAL HISTORY OF ST. LOUIS'S MUSIC SCENE BELIEVES IT IS TIME TO TAKE A ROAD TRIP TO SURVIVING INDEPENDENT RECORD STORES ACROSS THE COUNTRY (AND THE WORLD), PICKING UP MUSICAL HISTORY, ENTERTAINING STORIES, AND PERFORMANCES - IN THE MIDST OF THE RESURGENCE OF VINYL. HIS GOAL IS TO SHOW HOW INDIE-RECORD STORES, IN THIS TIME OF SHAPE-SHIFTING CHANGE, PROVIDES A SENSE OF SHARED COMMUNITY IN CITIES ALL OVER THE WORLD. ONLY TO PROVE YET AGAIN, THAT NOT ONLY IS 'MUSIC IS THE HEALING FORCE', BUT ALSO, 'LIFE WITHOUT MUSIC IS WASTED'.
WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST ALBUM?
why a series about record stores?
Check out our Teaser Reel
We are currently traveling around the U.S. visiting killer indie stores (Hey, someone's got to do it!). onal editing process of five episodes. You'll be able to check them all out soon on your local PBS station. Thanks to the best crew on the planet!
Hundreds of Unbelievable Acts Have Played at Vintage Vinyl Throughout the Years
We've been blessed to have hundreds of bands and thousands of musicians play and visit our store: To name just a few - Mumford & Sons, Rudy Rae Moore, The BlackEyed Peas, Widespread Panic, Billy Bob Thorton & The Boxmasters, Jack Black & Tenacious D, Pokey LaFarge, Insane Clown Posse, Queens of the Stone Age, Jason Mraz, Robert Cray, Matisyahu, Linkin Park, The Fantastic Negrito, SlipKnot, etc.
Find Out the Stories Behind the Scenes of Some of Our Favorite In-Stores
Wait until you hear how the Disney Corporation wanted to stop the in-store of The Insane Clown Posse. When their fans found out that we had copies of the LP that was supposed to be destroyed, all hell broke out. Have you ever seen that scene in "Day of the Locust"?
BUT, MOST IMPORTANTLY - THIS IS WHY WE'RE DOING A SERIES ABOUT INDEPENDENT RECORD STORES...
Jeff Tweedy / WILCO
JJ Grey / JJ Grey & Mofro
JJ Grey / JJ Grey & Mofro
"Nothing beats browsing in your favorite store, listening to music."
JJ Grey / JJ Grey & Mofro
JJ Grey / JJ Grey & Mofro
JJ Grey / JJ Grey & Mofro
"Going to the record store as a kid was always an exciting affair...the excitement I felt back then is rekindled every time I go into a real independent record store today."
Charlie Louvin
JJ Grey / JJ Grey & Mofro
Charlie Louvin
"I would like to thank all of the indie stores from Florida to California...Waterloo, Shake It, Criminal Records, Grimey's, Vintage Vinyl..."
Norah Jones
Peter Gabriel
Charlie Louvin
"It's important to keep indie record stores alive, because their unique environments introduce music lovers to things in a very personal way."
Ziggy Marley
Peter Gabriel
Peter Gabriel
"Record stores keep the human social contact alive...Without the independent record stores, the community breaks down with everyone sitting in front of their computers."
Peter Gabriel
Peter Gabriel
Peter Gabriel
"I was introduced to lots of great music through my local record store. It was a place where people knew music and they knew me, and could make great suggestions and discoveries."
KT TUNSTALL
DJ JAZZY JEFF
DJ JAZZY JEFF
"Independent record stores are like a casino where you put down your money and you always win. How amazing to discover gems you didn't know about, to meet someone more passionate than you are, and to feel at home in a place you may never have been to before. I'm convinced they will never lose their place - Long may they rule."
DJ JAZZY JEFF
DJ JAZZY JEFF
DJ JAZZY JEFF
"Indie record stores are the ones that may suggest something NEW and FRESH instead of just what's popular."
BEN HARPER
DJ JAZZY JEFF
WAYNE COYNE / FLAMING LIPS
"Independent record stores are much more than the name suggests, they are an international community..."
WAYNE COYNE / FLAMING LIPS
WAYNE COYNE / FLAMING LIPS
WAYNE COYNE / FLAMING LIPS
"The 'cool' record store. It is where you can talk to people who are like you. They look like you, think like you, and most tellingly like the same music as you - the only comparable experience these days would probably be an art museum - an actual place where you can stand and simply be surrounded by your heroes."
JOAN JETT
WAYNE COYNE / FLAMING LIPS
JOHN MELLENCAMP
"Any artist that doesn't support the wonderful Ma and Pa record stores across America is contributing to our own extinction."
JOHN MELLENCAMP
WAYNE COYNE / FLAMING LIPS
JOHN MELLENCAMP
"Immersing yourself in the environment of a real record store where music is celebrated and cherished, adds real value to the experience of buying music. In some ways, that restart experience is as important as the music."
OUR premiere episode:
Vintage Vinyl is one of St. Louis' most beloved institutions. This documentary tells the history of the indie record store, with archival videos from in-store performances and signing events, including the man who has owned and operated it for decades, Tom "Papa" Ray. We are proud that the show premiered on Nine PBS.