On April 5, music collectors and vinyl store owners set up hundreds of bins containing vinyl records on tables in the pavilion at Switchyard Park for the Bloomington Music Expo.
The Music Expo was created in 2019 by Visit Bloomington executive director Mike McAfee.
Jeremy D. Bonfiglio took over the event last year. Bonfiglio is the owner of For The Record Vinyl, LLC, where he runs a number of record shows around the country, including South Bend, Toledo, Ohio, and Benton Harbor, Michigan.
Bonfiglio said that Visit Bloomington wanted to change its focus on local business, and that’s when they decided to reach out to him to be the Bloomington Music Expo event organizer.
“They thought that it would be in their best interest if they focused on that,” said Bonfiglio. “ I run a number of shows, so I thought this would be perfect.”
Bonfiglio was heavily involved in this event; he sat in front of the pavilion selling event tickets, and the music expo even had door prizes where people could enter a raffle for the chance to win $25 shopping certificates and record products from the event’s sponsor, BCW Supplies, based in Middletown, Indiana.
This year brings a new change for the Bloomington Music Expo, as it was previously held in May. However, this year it was decided to move to April. Additionally, the once-yearly event will now take place twice a year.
“Last year’s Expo was a huge success,” Bonfiglio said. “However, since it was held in May, many of the students at Indiana University had left for the Summer. Vinyl has seen such a huge resurgence among college students that we felt like we were not serving the entire Bloomington community. When planning for this year, we felt it was key to expand the event and pick dates where students could participate.”
Q&A with Kellie Dechant about her love of vinyl records.
Bonfiglio said that young people purchasing vinyl is a major trend he has observed among customers at the many record shows he has hosted. Vinyl album sales have risen from 13.1 million in 2016 to 49.6 million in 2023, representing an almost 300% increase over the previous eight years, the majority of which were bought by Gen Z.
Thirty vendors from six states occupied more than 50 tables, selling various music items. Customers browsed through hundreds of pre-owned LPs, new vinyl releases, CDs, cassettes, posters, T-shirts, and record supplies, hoping to find something special.
“I’m having a great time hanging out, I’m just getting back into vinyl again,” said local Bloomington resident and shopper Jeffery Wilson. ”There’s a lot of records here. I’ve got kind of a weird combination of Super Tramp and Willie Nelson. Looking for an Electric Light Orchestra, no luck yet, but I’m holding out.”
Six of the many small businesses at the Music Expo were from outside of Indiana. Lady Lounge Records, a small vinyl store from Columbus, Ohio, was in the back of the room, with its fairy lights and pink crates full of both new and used records. Kellie Dechant, the owner, has been a long-time fan of listening to music via vinyl records, and her passion for them inspired her to create her own record store, sharing her love of music.
“It’s easier to sell to people when you’re around other vendors instead of people going online,” said Dechant.
Q&A with Jeremy D. Bonfiglio about what he has noticed this year at the Music Expo.
Bonfiglio said he loves how these record shows promote friendship among vendors and customers, as well as how they bring music fans together.
