arts
From left, Geoff Walker and Jon Teichman stand among their records during an August sale at the Ore Dock Brewing Co. in Marquette. The pair have been holding record sales for several years. (Photo courtesy of Andrea Carr/Ore Dock Brewing Co.)
Building community, one record at a time
A
bout eight years ago, two friends brought their love for music into a vinyl partnership. For Marquette natives and longtime family friends Jon Teichman and Geoff Walker, records brought them together for a specific mission — sharing the fruits of their collecting hobby with others. “Other formats of music cannot unite generations,” said Vinyl Reception owner & DJ Greg Sandell. “Vinyl does that.” The next vinyl sale is September 9-12 at Ore Dock Brewing Company in Marquette. Thousands of records will be available for purchase from noon until Ore Dock closes for the evening. “This sale will be during Beer Fest,” Teichman said. “It should be a lot of fun.” The Michigan Brewers Guild 12th Annual U.P. Fall Beer Festival takes place on September 11 this year. “Thankfully, we’ve only had two incidents with beer and the records,” Walker said. “I had one guy spill 50 cents of beer and destroy $500 worth of records. We had words.” The first record show started around
By Kristy Basolo-Malmsten
Walker’s brother Mike’s taco-making skills. Mike was selling tacos at Ore Dock Brewing Company, prior to having the Dia de los Tacos food truck, when he connected Geoff with the brewery manager. He pitched the vinyl sale idea — one he wasn’t sure would work, but the public quickly proved him wrong at that very first sale. “At 5 p.m., we unlocked the back door and they piled in, two or three deep in front of the tables,” Walker said. “We sold 1,500 records, and my brother sold out of tacos.” He continued hauling thousands of records to the U.P. he had bought downstate and while en route to Marquette. Walker also stored records with friends and family in the Marquette area so not everything had to be hauled back and forth. The demand continued, and soon, Walker realized the sales had become busy enough that he might need an assistant. Finally, when he was asked to play in a local festival during one of the sale weekends, he called on Teichman for help. “I can’t imagine doing this with anyone
else,” Teichman said. “Our wives are super supportive, and the community has been amazing.” Both Teichman and Walker agree they have complementary skill sets, which makes their partnership work. “We’ve been friends so long that we finish each other’s sentences,” Teichman said. “And we laugh a lot.” The labor of love is obvious at the sales, with each box and table organized meticulously. Customers often compliment the selection; “You’ve got eight Replacements albums? You’re not going to find that anywhere in the United States.” The men just smile graciously. “They’re very enthusiastic,” said vinyl connoisseur Olivia Pirhonen of Negaunee. “The atmosphere is always fun. [Geoff and Jon] are always chatting with customers, and everyone is so happy to be there. It’s always a good time.” The ebb and flow of foot traffic is like music — sometimes a slow moving ballad and sometimes a lively polka. But the customers just keep showing up. “People come from all over the U.P.,”
September 2021
Marquette Monthly
65
