T.H.E. Show Newport 2012

It's official: there was more vinyl for sale at this year's Newport show than at any show in American audio show history. Ok, it's official only in my mind, but I've been going to these things since before the compact disc error, I mean era, and I've never seen so much new and used vinyl concentrated in one place, nor have I seen so much buying.

By Saturday night, the once stuffed bins had expansive gaps at Acoustic Sounds, Music Direct, Elusive Disc, IMPEX and at the other dealers of new and used vinyl. People were in a buying mood and for once all of the vinyl shleppers who set up shop seemed to feel it was worth the effort.

What were they buying? Just about everything. After my first turntable set-up seminar, a woman and her perhaps 12 year old son approached the stage and she asked me how many turntables I thought it appropriate her son Benjamin ( I think that was his name) should own.

"As many as he thinks he needs," I responded expecting a horrified look in return. Instead, mommy seemed to accept the fact that this was Ben's passion and that she would continue encouraging it.

I know I did, especially when she told me her son was a big fan of mine. He was apparently too shy to say so. But he did tell me he'd gotten a defective copy of Bill Evans' Waltz For Debby.

The kid's clearly got all around good taste!