Gathering fans of pop-icon Taylor Swift, Grantski Records hosted a listening party for locals on Friday evening, April 19, to celebrate the release of her newest album.
As dozens of Swift fans, otherwise known as Swifties, excitedly filed into downtown Augusta’s Grantski Records, owner Evan Grantski said he was thrilled to have so many appear for the store’s second Swift-themed listening party.
“This was to support not only our fans, but Taylor Swift’s fans too,” Grantski said. “It’s a lot of fun too, and we wanted to celebrate her new album.”
A self-proclaimed avid music lover, Grantski said music is a “soul healer” and making an effort to listen to songs together gives people the opportunity to connect on a deeper level.
“We might all have differences, but music really brings everyone together,” he said.
Attendee Karena Williams said she and her daughter are frequent shoppers at Grantski and once again came to this year’s Swift-themed listening party based on their previous positive experience.
“We came to the last one and now my 10-year-old niece is here, so we’re enjoying it with the next generation,” Williams said. “The concerts aren’t accessible for everyone, so this is great because it’s still the same sort of vibe.”
Being a big Swift follower, Williams’ daughter, Carson Williams, said she had been looking forward to the event since the store announced it on social media.
“It’s a great time and you get to mingle over a shared interest. As soon as you walk in people are trading bracelets,” Carson Williams said. “I’ve been listening to Taylor Swift probably since I was 10 years old. It was actually the first concert my mom took me to, so I’ve been listening to her the entire time I was growing up.”
As an enthusiastic record collector, Carson Williams said she believes different manners of listening to music gives today’s generation a more meaningful way to intently focus on artists’ melodies.
“I just enjoy listening to music on different platforms; it’s not just in my car or on my phone, and they make nice collectibles,” Carson Williams said. “I think I got a record player in high school or college, and it just continued from there.”
Langley Newman, co-creator of the CSRA’s Augusta Swifties, an online organization, said she and her fellow administrators were grateful to once again partner with Grantski and assist in hosting the high-energy soiree.
“Last year we did a listening party for the 1989 album release, and it was so much fun. That was the first Taylor Swift event ever held in Augusta,” she said. “We just wanted to bring the community together. We’ve had a lot of events now, but the ones at Grantski are always the biggest.”
As participating fans ranged greatly in age, Newman said she believed the listening party served as a pinnacle meeting event for all kinds of Swifties.
“Being able to talk to other people about Easter eggs and our thoughts on the album is really cool,” she said. “This is just a really great way to meet people and to bring them together, which I think is what Taylor Swift wants.”
Newman said being able to dress up, dance and laugh with friends and other Swift fans tremendously adds to one’s listening experience.
“A lot of people are wearing black and white just for this album. It’s great, and you can truly meet so many people,” she said. “I’ve met a ton of people through events like this.”
Whether one is a mom, a teenager, a tween, an older adult or even in their 20s, Newman said all can easily come together through their similar love for Swift’s music.
“It’s cool to see even the kids coming together and becoming friends,” she said.
In addition to providing light refreshments and sweets for attendees, the music shop was well stocked with Swift’s newest album – “The Tortured Poets Department” – on vinyl.
With vinyl continuing to remain a major trend for music collectors, Grantski said he believed it was crucial to preserve older recordings and electronic forms of playing songs as they could otherwise be lost forever.
“Universal Records actually had a huge fire in California in their warehouse, and they lost thousands upon thousands of original tapes,” he said. “Tons of stuff was burned and is lost, so now – for people who wanted them – the original analog recordings are gone.”
Although music streaming services, like YouTube and Spotify, could pose a threat to vinyl’s existence, Grantski said he is not at all worried about the market losing popularity, because overtime collecting has become more of a hobby.
“It’s about being able to own the music that you want to listen to. It’s a lot of fun,” he said. “I think the hobby will continue for a long time; I don’t think streaming will cause it to decline at all.”
As listeners leave the shop towards the conclusion of the album, Grantski said he hoped each fan went home with happy memories, and ultimately associated the store with a positive experience.
To continue the celebration, Grantski said the following day, April 20, the store would offer an enormous sale on records, CDs and cassettes for National Record Store Day.
“That event usually has a long line around the block of people trying to get in,” he said.
For those interested in attending the big sale, Grantski recommends locals show up early – prior to the store’s 10 a.m. opening time – and ready to shop.
To find out more about Grantski Records and their in-store merchandise, visit: https://www.grantskis.com/
