Record Store Day 2016 Showcases Stroud Culture

Musician Lenny Kaye with ESU sophomore Mick Tillson. Photo Courtesy / Mick Tillson Musician Lenny Kaye with ESU sophomore Mick Tillson. Photo Courtesy / Mick Tillson
Musician Lenny Kaye with ESU sophomore Mick Tillson. Photo Courtesy / Mick Tillson
Musician Lenny Kaye with ESU sophomore Mick Tillson.
Photo Courtesy / Mick Tillson

Jillian Deiley
Staff Writer

Main Street in Stroudsburg was the place to be on April 15. Main Street Jukebox, Stroudsburg’s local record store, celebrated the eighth annual Record Store Day with live music, special offers and open doors to anyone who wanted to stop by.

Record Store Day was created in 2007 by a committee of record store owners, employees and enthusiasts, as a way to celebrate over 1400 record stores in the US and the atmosphere they cultivate in their surrounding communities.

The celebration kicked off at 8 a.m. when Main Street Jukebox opened their doors to a line of vinyl lovers who were aching to get their one of kind, Record Store Day released material.

As a way to promote the event, music companies and labels work with the Record Store Day foundation to release special edition material from a variety of bands, artists and genres that are only available on Record Store Day.

Around 3:30 p.m. local rock band Skysleeper, a three piece comprised of ESU sophomore Mick Tillson (guitar/vocals), Jon Roe (bass/rhythm guitar/piano/backup vocals) and Cory Jennings (drums/booking) from Mount Bethel Pennsylvania, opened the live entertainment portion of the celebration.

“The band’s never opened up for a rock ‘n’ roll hall of famer before, that’s for sure,” said Tillson, “It was actually surreal seeing so many people in that crowded little space all so into everything around them.”

“Tom (the owner) gets so much love from his customers and the bands, as he should,”continued Tillson. “Record Store Day really exemplifies all the best aspects of culture, and we wouldn’t have it without him.”

Skysleeper’s drummer, Jennings, was out of town, but Tillson and Roe delivered a great performance two piece style in his absence.

Following Skysleeper was the musician and music producer, Lenny Kaye.

Kaye is widely known for the time he played guitar for punk rock trailblazer Patti Smith.

Kaye was extremely personable and down to earth in the intimate setting the Jukebox offered to fans.

“I love record stores,” he stated at the beginning of his performance, “I spend a good amount of time in them…I am proud to be a record collector!”

He then proceeded to play his 1984 song “Luke the Drifter.”

Mongooch was among the performers at Main Street Jukebox. Photo Credit / Kathleen Kraemer
Mongooch was among the performers at Main Street Jukebox.
Photo Credit / Kathleen Kraemer

In between songs, Kaye would tell stories of his musical past, deliver anecdotes about supporting small businesses like Main Street Jukebox and Carol and Carol Booksellers and at one point, he even gave his comical two cents about Donald Trump running for president.

Following Kaye’s performance, funk rock band, Mongooch took the stage.

Mongooch is a four piece from Little Falls, New Jersey, consisting of Christian Rizzo (drums), Bill Rose (bass), Alexander Sagnella (guitar/vocals) and Nicholas Sagnella (guitar/vocals/sax).

The band performed several originals mixed in with covers including a cover of The Gorillaz’s “Feel Good Inc.”

The next band was introduced by sound man Steve Truglio as a “surf polka band” for “the center of the universe, New Jersey.”

The three piece surf rock infused grunge band Disposable is comprised of New York/New Jersey natives Chen De Lao (ukulele/guitar/throat), Ja De Lao (percussion) and Mo (bass master general).

De Lao expertly engaged the crowd by distributing tambourines so that they could play along to the songs.

The final band of the evening was the reggae-ska infused punk band, Lorg.

Lorg is a three piece reigning from Sussex County, New Jersey.

Members include Sean Costello (guitar/vocals), Destin Muller (bass/backup vocals) and Brett Ross (drums/throat drums). Lorg played mostly originals, and even invited a fan from the crowd up to sing a piece with them.

The conclusion of Lorg’s performance around 9 p.m. marked the conclusion of Record Store Day at Main Street Jukebox, but it was not the end of the celebration for many members of the crowd.

Truglio invited the audience back to The Living Room for a performance featuring his three piece band, King Dead, King Buffalo of Rochester New York and local band Dead Men.

This performance was the last to be held in The Living Room under that name. It will be re-opened as the Sherman Showcase on April 21.

Email Jillian at:
jdeiley@live.esu.edu