🎵 Now Playing: “Rock with You” – Michael Jackson

As you may know, Baltimore is a music-loving city. We are known for our club music, our DJs, our artists, and our long history of creating sounds that are uniquely ours. But what about the people who don’t just listen to music, what about those who collect it? Let me introduce you to Baltimore’s vinyl community at VinylCon!

I first heard about VinylCon through my friend Raigan and local Baltimore DJ Joshito, whom we both follow. Joshito is part of ONEs & TWOs, a local DJ collective with another Baltimore DJ, Styles Bond. The duo is known for curating great listening experiences at events throughout the city, and they also host vinyl giveaways. Joshito also helps people source specific records, so if you’ve been hunting for a particular album, he may be able to help you find it.

VinylCon describes itself as a two-day celebration of music collecting and new music discovery, with a mission to preserve the culture of collecting and create a space for people to discover music in a tangible way. While vinyl is the star of the show, attendees can also find other recorded media, music memorabilia, and music-related collectibles, along with food, drinks, and live DJs.

Because we had previously RSVP’d to the ONEs & TWOs Baltimore Vinyl Record Crawl, we were able to get discounted admission to VinylCon and discounts on our purchases. And trust me, once I walked through the doors, I understood why you might want to save a little money before coming in.

The event was held at Union Craft Brewing, located inside Union Collective in Baltimore’s Medfield neighborhood. The former Sears warehouse has been transformed into a hub for local businesses, and it was the perfect setting for an event centered around collecting and community. There was something satisfying about searching through crates of records inside a building with its own history.

And when I say they had records, I mean records. The space was packed with thousands of vinyl records and cassettes spanning generations. Old school, new school, R&B, hip-hop, soul, you name it, somebody probably had it. I spotted artists like Frank Ocean, Michael Jackson, Brandy, and Chaka Khan, and I’m sure I could have spent hours digging through the crates if my wallet had allowed it. There were also music-related merchandise, snacks, drinks, and live DJs throughout the event. The sellers were friendly, and I was pleasantly surprised by how easy it was to negotiate. Of course, I walked away with a few finds of my own!

There is something completely different about searching for music this way. Streaming has made virtually every song available at the tap of a screen, but digging through thousands of physical records requires patience. You have to look through the crates, read the names, recognize album covers, and sometimes take a chance on something you’ve never heard before. The anticipation of finding something you’ve been searching for, or discovering something completely unexpected is part of the experience.

For me, VinylCon was also another reminder of how connected Baltimore’s music communities really are. You can start with a friend recommending a DJ. That DJ introduces you to a record crawl. The record crawl leads you to VinylCon. At VinylCon, you discover a new artist, another collector, or a record you’ve been searching for. Before you know it, you’ve become part of a community that you may not have even known existed. Our creative communities may sometimes feel small or niche, but they are here. The city has a deep musical history, and people are still finding ways to preserve it while creating something new. From Baltimore Club to DJ collectives to vinyl collectors, our relationship with music goes far beyond simply listening to a song. We collect it. We share it. We dance to it. And we keep it alive.

After experiencing VinylCon, I hope this community continues to grow. There’s something special about knowing that in a city where you can find almost anything, there are still people willing to spend hours digging through crates looking for the perfect record. I can’t wait to see what I find next.

Until next time,

Signed, A Baltimore Native