NMU Vinyl Record Club hosts a place for a pop culture swap

Here at Northern, Wildcats study hard and put effort into every move. But sometimes, this energy requires a bit of artistic inspiration and musical expression. Without music in our ears, a song stuck in our head, or a dance in our step, getting through the day can be hard for some. Everyone needs some sort of artistic escape, be it a CD dancing around a 90s gadget, a concert poster sticking to a dorm wall or a video game to toggle up a day of hard work, the NMU Vinyl Record Club makes this desire accessible with their Winter Vinyl Record Show and Poster Sale this Saturday.

The Millennium Falcon. The Golden Girls. Japanese Robots. Star Trek. Familiar yet oh-so classic faces invite me into their home, like they once have before, none other than hung up on the walls of an inspired and extroverted soul. In this case, the collection and display of Jon Teichman, assistant director of NMU Admissions and advisor of the NMU Vinyl Record Club. Fliers ready at-hand, mind ready to socialize and buckled up for another event, Teichman shares his thrill and energy toward this Saturday’s buy, sell and trade event.

Teichman explained that his interest and hobby in collecting cover art was intrigued by its three-dimensional nature, and being able to share his knowledge in pop culture, as studied at Bowling Green State University, has “always been part of the work that I do,” he said. “It has a connection to me.”

Whether you have records to trade, space in your home to collect more or show off what you have, Teichman encourages passionate people to explore, no matter the art collector or
music-listener.

Teichman explained the event will feature different kinds of music, from ABBA to Zappa, David Bowie to Elvis Presley, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and even as modern as Lady Gaga.
Additionally, Marquette DJ’s Vinyl Reception will play a mix of music throughout the day.

Even if you don’t collect vinyl records and prefer other forms of art, vendors will have something for everyone, Teichman explained. There will be CD’s, tapes, concert posters, pop culture artifacts and six tables of a wide range of old-school video games as well as those that use newer technology, like the Nintendo Switch.

In fact, a vendor from Ontonagon will be bringing a “customized console with a hundred playable games inside,” Teichman said. “Basically, this event has mushroomed from just being a record and CD show to now being a pop culture swap.”

This event attracts over 3,000 people traveling from a distance, and well-known faces of U.P.’s art collectors, such as – traveling from Newberry – Ed Johnson, “the founding father of vinyl record collecting in the U.P.,” according to Teichman, extending an admirational shout-out to the one that collected “before it was cool.”

Also mentioned of attending are Aaron Yunker from Uncle Pizza Productions, Shawn Wolfman and many other “pop culture dealers,” as Teichman calls them.

Teichman pointed out that though everything is available online in today’s world, collecting is unique and this is a chance to “physically go somewhere” and receive a “tactile experience” the internet lacks. That being said, “[This event] wouldn’t be the same if people didn’t come out and participate. Come early, dig in, hang out, talk to people and ask questions,” Teichman said. “It’s a really neat thing.”

The event will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. this Saturday, Jan. 19 in the Commons at Whitman Hall. The event is free admission. More information can be found on Facebook under an event page called “NMU Vinyl Record Show Saturday Jan. 19th.”