What comes around goes around… especially where vinyl is considered.
I still remember when Home of the Hits record shop closed on Elmwood Avenue. Around that time (2006), it was truly the death knell for record shops in Buffalo and cities across the nation. Then, suddenly, we the listeners were presented with a reprise. A number of small music shops, dedicated to vinyl, began to spring up. One of those shops, Spiral Scratch Records, took root on Bryant Street in the Elmwood Village – that was in 2010.
For five years Spiral Scratch thrived in its Bryant Street digs. Then, earlier this summer that record store lost… its storefront.
Suddenly the search was on for a new space, but where would the needle land for this beloved vinyl boutique. It turns out that Spiral Scratch would end up in one of the most uncanny spaces in Buffalo – directly next to Allentown Music, and in the exact same vicinity where Home of the Hits closed all those years ago.
Seeing Spiral Scratch on Elmwood brings back a lot of memories, for a lot of Buffalo music lovers. The move was certainly meant to happen. Being located in that iconic spot… and next to a store that sells instruments and band equipment? The outcome couldn’t have been any more perfect.
Now Elmwood has its record store back, Spiral Scratch is back in the business of slinging vinyl, and Buffalo music lovers have come full circle – back to where it all began. This is a big win for a new generation of vinyl fans in Buffalo. It’s also a throwback win those of us who have been frequenting Elmwood Avenue shops since… well… since the days that record stores were the only place to find the music that we loved.
Spiral Scratch Records | 1109 Elmwood Avenue | Buffalo, New York | Website