Antique Vinyl, the Fords, New Jersey record shop that has sat at the nexus of the state’s punk and metal scene for decades, closes next month. Owner Rob Roth announced today (June 21) in the shop’s newsletter that it will permanently close its doors on July 31 after 42 years in business.
In addition to hosting one of the state’s largest collections of new and used punk and metal records, the store also features several store performances over the years, both from local acts like Thursday, Saving the Sun, Midtown, Titus Andronicus, and My Chemical Romance, as well as national acts like Queens of the Stone Age, the Get Up Kids, Jimmy Eat World, and many, many more.
Roth opened the first iteration of the store at the age of 23 in Irvington, New Jersey in 1979. It’s been on location now since 1984. “I can’t get the music I want in chain stores,” he said. Roth NJ Advanced Media. “It’s punk time and you can’t get those records anywhere. I want to fill that void and take the curtain, sell punk and British records, and things that are ignored. ”Roth said the COVID-19 pandemic was not a major factor in closing the store and he is retiring to spend more time with his family.
Read Pitchfork’s “Longform” feature “What It Takes for an Independent Record Store to Survive Today. ”