My alarm did not sound as it was supposed to this morning. I woke up 30 minutes before I was supposed to be in the city to meet my boss and some of his record dealer friends. Somehow, I showered, dressed and got there in 45 minutes. I was kind of amazed. Load-in was slightly delayed, but we got inside the fair shortly after 12pm.
Just before we began setting up our table, I got a text from Nicci’s sister, Sarah, saying she was close by. It was really nice that she came downtown on her lunch break to say hi to me. I was hoping to get to her improv performance tonight in Queens, but lazy friends, rain, and automobile complications impeded my ability to see her perform. I felt like a jackass, but hopefully she’ll come out with us tomorrow night and I can buy her a drink to make up for it.
Back inside the fair, my boss and I spent a few minutes setting up our table. I don’t know how, but I managed to tweak my back. I was in close-to excruciating pain for the remainder of the day. I’m starting to wonder what good Facebook is if no one I’m “friends” with responds to my plea for muscle relaxants or painkillers. I’ve never once had back spasms before, but I’ve been having them all day, and it’s not a sensation I want to feel again anytime soon. Or ever, for that matter.
I saw a lot of familiar faces today. People who visit the store regularly, dealers who have been working WFMU fairs for years, and even that guy from the documentary I Need That Record were on hand today. Our friend Pete bought some amazing records with him this year, including an original, super-clean copy of the Bachs record, the Peter Grudzien record, and a ton of original UK Vertigo albums. He wasn’t sure how to price the Bachs record so I suggested $7,500 and he thought that sounded fair. The only thing more impressive than the Bachs record was the guy who brought along a legitimate copy of the Heitkotter album. Price tag: $5,000. I faked like I was interested in buying it, but the guy still wouldn’t let me see it.
I spent almost as much money on food today as I did records. It was really slow. I got a nice copy of the Mort Garson Plantasia record from Graham for $10, the self-titled BONG record for $15, and a copy of Dzyan’s Electric Silence for $40. That’s all. I saw some great Brazilian pop records by Jorge Ben and Caetano Veloso but I couldn’t pull the trigger and buy them. Oh well.
There aren’t any pictures worth uploading from today, or my adventures with Ian and Jon after the show ended. Tomorrow I’ll remember to actually bring my camera into the show so I can document my day. Then I’ll look back on the ensuing blog entry five years down the line and kill myself for being such a pathetic nerd.
I have to pick Ian and Jon up early tomorrow, so I’ve got to get myself to bed.
