Info on Boston/Vegas?
el_sparko
884 Posts
Hello people, In October I will be making a trip across the Atlantic to visit the good ole USA. In particular Boston and Las Vegas. Bit random choices I know but that's how it's worked out. The question is, can anyone give me any info on record shops (new and 2nd hand), clubs, clothing shops, bars, good places in general. I know the HHS shop is in Vegas and I've just seen the post about the UGHH shop in Boston. Anywhere else? Thanks for your help.
Comments
Rich is known for cutting excellent deals.
2909 South Decatur Blvd Las Vegas, NV 89102
El deepo pockets and a patience beyond the stars a requirement.
Any other recommendations, for record spots and anything else of interest?
There's a lot of Goodwills (4 or 5) but unless you're timing is lucky, you won't find much.
There's another record store that has 3 locations around the strip, including a dollar bin store and a 45s and "wall" records store. Can't remember the name but it's worth checking.... lots of decent $8-$20 soul/disco LPs in the bins. Owner seems cool.
If you want big scores, you're probably better off driving 3 hrs west.... but then I heard LA is "all dug up"
Cheers.
don't bother.
Thanks.
Boston has a decent aquarium and a place where you can eat 25 different meals under one roof. Apart from that it has to be the shittiest city of 2 million+ anywhere outside central China. Find some beaches or lakes nearby or take a daytrip to NYC. Chinatown --> Chinatown bus is around $15.
Vegas. Nada going on unless you get high on the whole Vegasbaby crap. Hoover Dam is quite impressive. Cheapo designer outlet stores at a place called Parumph or something, 30 miles out. But you'll need a rental car to get out the hotel anyway. If you're there for more than a day, take a roadtrip and laugh at funny roadsigns.
With regards to record buying, do a search, there was a post on this maybe three months back with recommendations for the stores. You might try SoulOnIce who posts on here often and reps Boston.
In terms of nightlife, don't mean to hate on other cities, but Boston has never been my favorite. I'm truly sorry.
steady on, mate... not our fault you got suckered into eating at boston's version of Southstreet Seaport...
there are PLENTY of great record stores in Boston for digging, esp. jazz and rock and the prices are WAY lower than NYC. NYC, like SF and Montreal is a DJ town, so you'll pay for your records in a way you won't in Boston or Philly...
although i can't give you all my spots, i'll say "In your Ear" on Comm. Ave is full of bargains... honestly, open up a yellow pages when you get there and use your horse sense, as they say...
oh and re: nightlife... boston's not a DJ town, unless you love euro-trance or you know someone to take you around to the hip hop clubs... there are some interesting things going on... my friends Tommee and Knife do a nice hip hop night at the Milkly Way in JP called Marinate where they play everything from Slim Thug to O.C... and they cut real nice... besides that there are plenty of cool rock clubs, and chill neighborhood bars... and every friday and saturday, you can go see this man (on the right):
PREACH!
But really, you got two of the worst cities in the US for any kind of vinyl excursions. Best of luck. Not being snotty, I mean it. You should try to enjoy what the cities have to offer instead of wasting time digging.
Soak in all the uptight white puritanicalness Beantown has to offer!
you're from Connecticut and you're cracking on Boston?
seriously...
re: worst city for digging, that's cool, keep sleeping... actually one of the few things i miss about Boston is the record stores...
Nah, that's one of the GOOD bits! OK, so Boston has a lotta italian food, and there's a few dig spots, but I was talking about the city as a whole compared to other cities that size like say San Fran or Barcelona or Hamburg.
And you from Connecticut, you can shut it, I was in RI for a few years... your cities wish they could be as lame as downtown Providence.
Seriously, if you're from the UK and find yourself in the USA in summer, see a bit of the great outdoors, get some sun and eat at IHOP every day.
Please I lived in Boston for 5 years...what record stores do you miss? The attitude, the walk, the overpriced jazz breaks...no thanks. I'll pull more heat at a week at Aron's out here in LA than I would in 3 months in Boston.
The only thing I miss about Boston are my Red Sox and this hot one hot chick I used to get down with.
LOL HAHAHA.. He is the king of giving you a bargain.
Let's see we have a new music store called ZIA, but it's pretty picked over. But you'll find some nice records there for $1. Then you got the hip hop site very respectable selection -raers. Then you got Big Bee's across the street from Hip Hop site. Sometimes they get some decent ish in, but mostly picked over. Then there's Record city which has a few different locations to check out. Nice spots. Then you have all the thrift stores which is always hit and miss. And then you have your Waxtrax which undeniably has nice stuff if you're a balling ass dj willing to spend $50 or more per record.
Also if your in town around the First Friday of the month head to the Beauty Bar Which is right off of Fremont st. Near the 7-11. It's like $10 to get in, but it's the best Funk/soul night in town. You can PM for more suggestions or to meet up or whatever.
- spidey
boston pop.= 600,000... metro area is bigger and includes cambridge, somerville, etc... if you went to all those places and still found it lacking, i'm suprised...
i'm not going to start acting like the boston tourist board, but i'll just say i'm fairly well traveled and think boston holds up...
boston is probably the most similar city in the US to the UK, so yeah, if you're from the UK, it's nothing that new... honestly, when i moved from boston to san diego, it was bigger culture shock than going from Boston to London...
so, yeah, hit the road, eat at truck stops, and tan up that pasty english skin...
however, if you're just in boston for one day, hit some record shops, have a beer at foley's, go see a band at the abbey lounge, hope someone invites you to the afterparty... or spend all day and night at this place:
good times emporiom
apparently there's an Ultimate Fighting Championship thing there on Aug. 20th... can't get much more american than that,,,
you ever go to Record Hog? man, one day i pulled JB sex machine dble LP on King, The Miracles "going to a go go" OG press, Sir Mix a lot "baby got back" out of there for 1 dollar TOTAL...
when Planet Records was in Kenmore, that store consistantly killed it... i remember seeing "Damaged' by Black Flag with the "anti-parent" sticker there for 5 bucks... got my copy of "back in the USA" by the MC5 there for a buck...
there are 5 stores in the boston area (well, surrounding area as well...) that i hit every time i go home and i'm never disapointed... picking up "freedom flight" by shuggie otis for 25 cents? yes, please... stock copies of "Trouble" by Foxy for 3 bucks? c'mon...
...and if you moved there to go to college, we don't want you as a red sox fan! rep where you're from!
I'm from Providence homie...I'm more of a red sox fan than anyone I know. I hurt people when they bad mouth the sox.
I used to roll to record hog on the regular. There were occasional records to be had...but dude LA shits on Boston. I mean this is obvious, but it really doesn't come close at any level.
fine... i never said "BOSTON IS THE BEST DIGGING CITY IN AMERICA"... i said, it has really good stores, with prices consistantly lower than those in NYC... i lived in San Diego and pulled out a lot of heat when i lived there... hey, So. Cal. is a record goldmine, no argument. i will say tho, for jazz/blues, Boston is consistantly HOT,,, i go home and pick up funky jazz shit for 1/3 of the price people want in NYC.
honestly, the one time i went shopping around LA, i didn't buy anything (mainly b/c i had scored like crazy at the Hillcrest Record show -respect-) and mainly b/c prices were a bit too high... didn't check aron's, went to a few spots, including amoeba and they had great shit, it just cost more than i wanted to pay... maybe it was an off day, maybe it was my mood, that's just my recollection,,,
for folks who want only funk, boston is not that great a town, but for rock and jazz, it's pretty amazing... and the funk IS there, you just gotta know the spots... i won't name stores, but i know SoulOnICe picked up the first Gil Scott Heron on Flying Dutchman yesterday for 5 bucks... that's a cat who never lived outside of boston and his collection has some fire... due to the history of academia there, you will find weird rock/punk records in boston for WAY cheaper than almost any other big city in the US... i buy my disco records in NYC, i buy my Residents records in Boston...
allright, i'm done being the boston record store defender, i don't really care if other people shop there at all honestly, i know i score there, everyone else can shop wherever the fuck they want in this wide world...
Boston. Despite the talk, there's a good jazz record store by the Berklee College of Music near Mass Ave (I forget the name) and another place on Newberry Street toward the Mass Ave side (I also forget the name). Probably won't find anything too rare but worth checking out if you're out that way.
The best stuff in Boston isn't in Boston!
None of these defend your case.
Oh I'll keep sleeping on Boston but I'll be wide awake while hitting the outskirts (multiple Gap Mangione's & Funky Skull for $1? And this was just last week?
This applies to all of New England, though.
I...don't know what this means but Providence is fantastic.
Great women, lounges, clubs, Firewater, free Roy Ayers concerts.
Went to college in RI for years myself, really chill state.
But Providence is NOT Boston.
...and dissing Boston is not bigging up CT, no need to get uptight.
We all know CT blows (read/rent "The Ice Storm", "Stepford Wives" ,"PCU", etc.)
A HREF=http://soulstrut.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=crates&Number=314842&Forum=All_Forums&Words=mystery train&Match=Entire Phrase&Searchpage=0&Limit=25&Old=allposts&Main=314318&Search=true#Post314842>Oh, and Sparko, here's the Boston Info. I don't want this thread to turn into crap for you./A>
Anyway no hard feelings, cats are just expressing opinions.
But in my book:
IMG SRC=http://www.republicangear.com/boston%20Sucks%20Round.jpg HEIGHT=100>
...and it has nothing to do with baseball.
Goodnight and God bless.
Apologies for the negativity.
Great women"
If you like women with press on nails, hair spray, and stone washed jeans.
yeah, ok... if you say so,,, lemme guess, your copy of "sex machine" cost 5 cents? and your copy of "freedom flight" was free? please... if you paid less for than 25 cents for these records, i'm surpised, if you don't own them, i'm afraid i can't help you...
people from CT dissing Boston is like a leper telling a guy with a headcold not to cough near him...
CT vs Boston reminds me of old HC days...and we all know how CT came out of those beefs..
Although your Boston blast makes my fists clench, Quo, thanks for linking my old Boston shopping guide post, so I wouldn't have to dig it up for him.
Personally, I don't hate on other cities - every time I travel I find good records, good food, good bookstores and cool people.
"Vegetable rights and peace!"[/b]
I was actually asking on behalf of someone else, i've been there before but i only found a copy of stores while walking along that big hippyish street but they were good if i remember right...
I'll pass on this info to him.
Thanks!