Third Man Rolling Record Store To Debut At SXSW (VIDEO)

The record industry is in dire straights, its true. Jack White, who seems cryogenically preserved from vinyl's heyday, is fully aware of this sad fact and has gone to great lengths to preserve the dying culture. His most recent effort was uncovered today in a video posted on the Third Man Records website and begins with the somberly delivered PSA, "97% of high school aged kids have NEVER been to a standalone record store."

Over the course of the next minute or so, Jack White unveils his plan to remedy this injustice, and it takes the form of one of his most awesome inventions yet. The latest from Third Man labs is the Rolling Record Store: a truck well stocked with a range of limited edition Third Man vinyl, shirts, tote bags, and other fun merch.

The store operates in a manner not unlike a food cart. It is a fully functional vehicle and will travel from Nashville, Tennessee to Austin, Texas to make its debut at SXSW, March 16-20. To top it all off the truck is equipped with microphones and turntables for DJs to spin records as well as a killer soundsystem for bands to plug in and play outside. White worked with a custom auto shop to design and build the Rolling Record Store from scratch.

After Austin, the bright yellow truck will travel ("Like A Rolling Store?") to other shows and festivals, and hopefully a city near you. The video below ends with a promise that they "will find you." Excellent.

Comments

[buttervinyl]

01:30 PM on 03/10/2011

First, we want to give big ups to Mr. White (personally, I still think he's underrated). We're for anything that puts the most accurate and aesthetic music format in the hands of music fans. In fact, we've been doing the same thing for the last few months—traversing Los Angeles, selling records out of an old Ford Bronco. So if you're in LA, we'd love to be the local record shop at your front door. If you're not, we've got an online shop @ http://buttervinyl.com

[leorangerie]

12:24 PM on 03/10/2011

Jack White is the best 'garage' style guitarist I've heard in a long, long time. Just whippin' good. Plus he's smart, witty, and pretty much a 24-7 performance artist. The record van? Brilliant. Rock on.

[Axle Contemporary]

11:40 AM on 03/10/2011

Great idea. It's in the air these days. Check out our mobile stepvan art gallery in Santa Fe:
www.axleart.com

[Results May Vary]

11:06 AM on 03/10/2011

Jack White once again confirms his spot as my favorite person in the music industry. I really think this guy has done, and will continue to do, great things for music.

[Holypat777]

10:24 AM on 03/10/2011

Cool!

[Myrna Minkoff]

08:43 AM on 03/10/2011

Keep on truckin!

[French Toast]

01:48 AM on 03/10/2011

Not a new idea but putting his money behind a venture is cool nonetheless. He's a guy that really cares about music and I'll never fault someone like that.

[Guy Incognito]

12:30 AM on 03/10/2011

This is not a new idea...where I live, back in the 70's there was on old, purple painted ex-school bus, known as Records On Wheels, and it was parked at the same location in a mall parking lot for years. It was part of a nationwide chain, and though the buses are long gone, the name remains in a lone store in Dundas, Ontario.

[enoughisenough23]

08:38 AM on 03/10/2011

True--back in the 70's, King Records used to have a big van that came down our street in the summer passing out 45's of James Brown's songs...those were the days.

[maurilius]

12:11 PM on 03/10/2011

That's the point, he's honoring that aesthetic. I don't think he's claiming to be the inventor.

[iLuvKOSHi]

11:53 PM on 03/09/2011

My Rock God!!! -xo

Great biz man, too.

[cameron d]

11:06 PM on 03/09/2011

How anyone can not dig what this guy has been doing for over a decade is beyond me.

[kinogod]

09:15 PM on 03/09/2011

Too freakin' cool.

[Parade Keegan]

08:23 PM on 03/09/2011

Fabulous concept, I'm in. Licensing fees?

[markie G]

08:02 PM on 03/09/2011

only cool guy still left in the music biz---maybe on the planet---pure rock and roll soul

keep it rollin, jack

[liberalbug]

10:54 PM on 03/09/2011

I agree, but his idea will never catch on with kids and their ipods and itunes. Heck to most kids these days even Jack White is a relic.

[markie G]

11:26 PM on 03/09/2011

yup--and that's a d@m shame

[The Mighty Pathos]

07:49 PM on 03/09/2011

I can't believe I didn't get into this guy until just recently.

[BebeLush]

07:33 PM on 03/09/2011

Jack, you are a genius.