Boys Like Girls Instore recap --- by Zak!

Last night we had an exclusive live performance from Boys Like Girls at our Chandler Store! The band made a special trip to the Phoenix area on their way to Philledelphia to entertain Zia customers and celebrate the release of their new record “Love Drunk”! The band started about 7:15 and went through some new songs like “Love Drunk” (video below)



After a few songs the fans and band members sang Happy Birthday to Martin the lead singer. Then they played the crowd favorite “The Great Escape” (video below) and were joined the crowd who were singing along.



Thanks to Boys Like Girls and all who came out!

Vinyl Is Like A Tasty Meatball Sub --- by Ryan @ Speedway

On Saturday, September 5th, Zia Records made its sophomore appearance at the Hotel Congress Record Show which is part of the HOCO festival at the hotel. This was the third year in a row that the hotel has put on this event and the people who came down to the record show seemed just as, if not more, enthusiastic than last year. Who goes to these types of events? The simple answer is: all kinds of folks. What do they have in common? The love of vinyl records. These are the people who love the warm sound of wax, the cool artwork, the joy of hunting through crates upon crates of records to find those rare gems. Many of Arizona’s finest purveyors of records were at this festival once again, with heaps of great records ready to be sold. Events such as this one show you that there are a lot of people out there who invest a lot of time, money, and love into records and it reinforces the fact that vinyl is that format that just won’t die, there always seems to be a dedicated fan base to keep it alive.

As a record store employee, I have watched the interest in vinyl continue to grow unabated. More and more releases are coming out on vinyl and they’re even doing re-issues of long out of print albums. I’ve talked to customers who used to buy CDs, but they’ve now been infected with the vinyl bug and are getting into records more and more. Aside from the usual reasons for liking vinyl, I think something that really stands out, at least for me, is the sense that when you hold a record in your hand, you feel like you’re holding art and not necessarily just a product. CDs and MP3s have their uses and are obviously much more mobile, but it’s an entirely different experience sitting down and listening to the record and examining the artwork or the lyrics, printed large. Just looking at a record you want to own is like looking at a good meal you are about to eat. Today at the HOCO fest, I had a meatball sub for lunch and while I was eating this, I thought about this comparison. You unwrap a meatball sub just as you would unwrap a record and then when your eyes look at either, they are sending signals to your brain, such as: “This is going to taste really good” or “That’s going to sound awesome”. Whether it’s good food or good music, it’s all pleasure and reminds you why life is worth living. They give you an escape from the daily monotony, and are not casual distractions. You have to seek either out. Good and creative food can be hard to find, and it works the same way for music. I think that’s why most people who love music and vinyl go to events like HOCO, they are dedicated to their passion and are willing to embark on the adventure to seek out records. Maybe to rediscover a lost treasure or maybe to explore the wider world, either way, it gives life more value.