By: Isabella Holmes for The Dirt
When the only indie vinyl shop in town closed for three weeks, the Davis community stepped up to help. Hip waders and all.
Armadillo Music has been a staple in the Davis community since it opened in 1996. Torrential rain storms were to blame for a busted pipe that forced them closed for three long weeks, and now that they’re back that community is showing up in droves to express appreciation and support.
During one of the many storms that passed through Davis this winter, a pipe that runs through Armadillo Music came apart, flooding the store. The inch of water left on the floor ruined sheetrock and destroyed inventory, including valuable records.
Even within the course of the interview for this story, two different customers came to donate boxes of their own personal record collections to help Armadillo recoup what they lost.
“That says something about how much people appreciate the business,” manager Paul Wilbur said.
This kind of setback could easily sink another small business, but the Armadillo team credits the specific nature of the Davis community for being able to bounce back.
“[The flood] absolutely devastated a lot of what we had, but we got on the other side of it,” Wilbur told The Dirt. “Davis people want to be connected to their local businesses and it shows in the way they support us.”
The day Armadillo announced the flood, friends and regular customers came to the shop in hip waders, ready to help clean up.
“We have a community that continues to follow us, pay attention to us, and support us,” Wilbur said. “I can’t reiterate enough how special it is to feel that community. That’s something that is generated over time, that’s organic. It’s people walking through the door saying ‘I care. What can I do?'”
On re-opening day it was standing room only. Friends, family, regulars, and others came to celebrate, have a beer and buy some records.
There’s never been a better time to pick up or renew an interest in vinyl, either. For the first time since 1987, vinyl sales are higher than CDs. The folks at Armadillo aren’t surprised.
“Vinyl is what’s driving this business. It’s all about records, people are seeking out a connection to the artists they love,” Wilbur said. “That’s why records are so popular—people crave that real community.”
National Indie Record Store Day is April 22.
