I flew to Manhattan on a recent May morning for my first-ever visit to the WFMU Record Fair. For those who don’t know the station, New York’s WFMU is one of the country’s leading exponents of freeform radio, as well as the sponsor of a biannual record meet that supposedly is the best on the East Coast. Joining the line of "desperate collectors" seeking early admission on Friday afternoon, I had come to the Metropolitan Pavilion on 18th Street with a wad of cash and a handful of trade LPs to see if it was all it was cracked up to be.
One of the first things I saw as I walked into the hall was Matt Dillon, who is apparently a music buff and had come to check things out during dealer set-up. I lacked the presence of mind to snap a picture; my focus was solely on the quest for vinyl. With my "Map To The Dealer’s Homes" firmly in hand (there were almost 200 tables on the floor), I made a quick pass through all the sections to get the lay of the land and scoop up any hot stuff on prominent display. Rule number one at a big record show like this is: if you see it and really want it, don’t hesitate.
While there were a few big ticket items hanging on the walls, nothing had that magical alignment of low price/great condition/cool music I needed to force my wallet open immediately. WFMU is more about oddball finds and serendipitous discovery than traffic in major rarities anyway. So rather than plunk down a fortune that first day, I invoked rule number two: keep an eye on your budget and pace yourself. I made some introductions (finally got to meet outsider music guru Paul Major) and spread my want list around.
The payoff was swift; one of the dealers saw I was looking for a copy of a ‘60s garage album by The Abbrevs and mentioned to me that he’d put one up on eBay several weeks earlier only to have the top bidder flake out on him. I quickly pointed out that I was one of the also-rans in that auction, and he agreed to bring it in the next day. It would be my #1 LP score of the weekend. Another dealer pledged his help in finding a local New York psych private pressing, though when I returned on Saturday, his table was gone (rule number three: keep an eye on the schedule at a weekend show; some people may only set up for a single day). Fortunately, I’d gotten his e-mail address.
For hardcore collectors of a specific style of music, this sort of contact may be even more important than what you actually buy at a particular fair: meeting other people with similar tastes. Just because a record you want isn’t in the bin doesn’t mean the guy doesn’t have a copy at home, or know someone else with one to turn loose. That’s how I pried obscure LPs by Moonlyte and Eli free from Mr. Major; he had them back at his apartment, and gave them to me for one of my traders plus cash.
With most of my major purchases mapped out, I was able to enjoy some of the other WFMU festivities. In addition to the live DJs spinning discs every day, Saturday offered go-go dancing from "The World Famous Pontani Sisters" as well as a set by British alternative rockers Echoboy (who were pretty good, if a little loud). There was also an Audio/Visual lounge in an adjoining room. In the 15 minutes I spent there munching on free Oreos, I sat through rare clips of Deep Purple, Klaus Nomi, and Ann Margret. And as the whole shebang functions as a fund-raiser for the station, there was a small room dedicated to WFMU merchandise; in addition to buying a couple of their CDs, I paid a dollar to spin the prize wheel and wound up with a bumper sticker.
After a little sightseeing (this was also my first trip to New York), I wrapped up some loose ends on Sunday. Another record meet rule: if you’ve had your eye on something you thought was too pricey, use the end of the last day to bargain. Though I didn’t manage to get price breaks on them, I procured a couple more rare albums I’d been watching all weekend, and with a deposit (of most of the money I had left), I persuaded a garage 45 dealer to set aside one of my top wants to complete purchase through the mail. All in all, a fair haul.
As things were winding down on Sunday, I spotted Rolling Stone’s David Fricke seated in the "food court." He wasn’t there in search of any particular rarities; just soaking up the vibe. That’s easy to do at WFMU, whether or not you’ve got much money to spend or care if the pressing is the original mono copy in the shrink wrap. This is one record fair with something to offer for any real music fan.
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