Saturday record show at Sessions introduces young listeners to vinyl

At noon on Saturday, Jon Reid sat with acoustic guitar in hand in Sessions on the River as visitors thumbed crates of vinyl records at its annual February record show.

Organizer Craig Waters told Fort Erie Radio his goal for the February 7 record show, which ran from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. with a $3 entry fee, was to attract many longtime collectors while also trying to bring younger listeners into vinyl collecting and the Niagara music scene.

“It’s a very chill vibe. A lot of people came out and hung out for a couple hours, so I think it gave people something to do on a freezing cold day,” Waters said.

Proceeds from entry fees supported Community Outreach Program Erie, which assists residents coping with food insecurity. Francesca Baldassare, who helped manage donations at the door, said visitors often gave more than required.

“People always donate more than they have to. It’s for a good cause, so it’s nice,” she said.

Waters has watched vinyl regain attention over the past decade, yet he worries the hobby can seem inaccessible to young people who did not grow up around turntables.

He keeps prices negotiable and encourages conversation at vendor tables to entice more buyers. Local performers are invited to his record shows so new listeners can have, perhaps, their first direct encounter with Niagara’s music community.

“If everything that kids collect seems too hard to get into, then it’s like, at some point it’s gonna die,” he said.

Craig Waters described Reid as a musician he has followed since high school through the Niagara live music circuit. He said Reid’s band No Big Deal shaped many of his early concert memories, which led him to invite Reid for an acoustic set where he performed many of his original songs.

Waters was excited to book Reid as a longtime fan, and it gave him a way to support a Niagara performer whose work connects closely with the local music scene.

Listeners gathered near the performance area as the afternoon progressed. Attendees ranged from veteran “vinyl junkies” searching for specific pressings to teenagers purchasing their first records.

Terry Gracie of the Vinyl Spa was one vendor who offers album cover and record restoration services for collectors and Niagara record shops.

Waters is planning his next record show at Sessions on May 9. He said the schedule, about three shows a year, maintains vendor interest and gives newcomers repeated chances to enter the scene without pressure.

Sessions on the River operates from the former Parkway Movie Theater and serves both as a professional recording studio and a concert space.

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