Weirdo Records Virtual Tour

For years, Weirdo Records was the place to go online for the most extreme and hard-to-find music; now, the physical store is the kind of place music connoisseurs speak wistfully about while their eyes glaze over. Weirdo is a veritable mecca for anyone who has taken a band and interwoven it with their own existence for a period of time. Perhaps you may not want any Afrobeat compilations from Nigeria on vinyl, cassette-only noise samplers, or rare copy of an anti-hardcore band on CD, but you can certainly walk away from the store with a newfound appreciation for the compelling power of music in the narrative of human existence... or at least an appreciation for the hard work and dedication that goes into hand-pressing 500 copies of vinyl.

In many ways, Weirdo is your essential "Mom and Pop store," even if your parents might choose listening to Sinatra over the Acid Mothers Temple. The neighborhood feel is provided by Sawyer, whose warmth in introducing customers to an obscure pre-Boredoms band, explaining how to use the cash register to a potential intern, and in her makeshift sign that says the store will close early because her band—Duck That —will be performing in another part of town makes Weirdo Records the kind of store that trades in the fast and furious feel of commerce in a large chain for the welcome and endearing human touch.

Although Sawyer may be quick to admit that most people would never listen to the music she prefers, Weirdo Records is a genuine gem for anyone who enjoys the feel of vinyl in their hands or music in their ears.