Spinning nostalgia in a modern way: Fat Elephant Records opens in Historic Folsom

A store that revives the sights, sounds and even smells of music nostalgia, mixed with a modern-day flair, has opened in Folsom's Historic District. Fat Elephant Records recently opened at 303 Riley Street; a sister store to a record store in Rancho Cordova, which has been open for about one year. One step inside Fat Elephant Records and those who grew up in the age before streaming existed, when one grappled with the impossible choice of which album to spend their allowance on, are instantly brought back in time to that familiar aroma: That mix of paper, cardboard, plastic and vinyl you only find in a classic record store. Then there are the endless rows of albums from virtually every music genre one could imagine: Stevie Wonder, Jefferson Starship, Def Leppard, Taylor Swift, etc. There are countless CDs and yes, even cassette tapes if you want to revisit music technology from the 1970s-80s. Fat Elephant Owner Charles Lago said even though the stores are attracting the older crowd who are thrilled to re-experience these symbols from their youth, it's actually the younger generation that is driving the resurfacing popularity of vinyl. "There's no question that records are coming back big," said Lago. "I think that young people are just rediscovering it and I think they're tired of the digital, the streaming. They want a tangible thing, they want to be collectors." Lago has a long history working in the film industry, managing such actors as Cloris Leachman and Tom Sizemore, among others. The record store scene is something he sort of fell into when a friend called and said his father had died, leaving behind literally thousands of records and CDs, and had no idea what to do with them. "I couldn't believe it, it was boxes and boxes and boxes of records," said Lago. There were all sorts of genres, from punk, rock, soul, to soundtracks. Lago stored the records for some time but eventually had an epiphany. If he built it, would they come? "One day, I just thought, let's do a record store. We had the base stock to do it. … To be honest, I really didn't know what was going to happen," Lago explained. "I thought, are records even a thing? Will people come? And I was prepared. I thought well, it will be fun, we'll do it for a year and if it doesn't work, it doesn't work. But then it really took off." The first store in Rancho Cordova was a bit of an endeavor, due to starting everything from ground zero, from inputting every record into a system, attaching labels and many other tedious tasks. A turning point came though, when Lago's store participated in "Record Store Day." Record Store Day is an annual event which typically takes place on the third Saturday of April to celebrate independently owned record stores. Record labels release special editions in limited qualities which fast become collector's items. On Record Store Day last year, Lago anticipated a potentially busier day than normal so he showed up early, at 7 a.m. Much to his shock, the parking lot was already crammed with cars, and there was a long line of people waiting. "Then I knew we had something," said Lago. "And then it kept ticking up and ticking up." A few weeks ago, Fat Elephant Records expanded to Historic Folsom, and it appears to be a perfect fit, as it also stocks "gifty" books and other charming items for tourists stopping by. But the real fans of the store, according to Lago, is vinyl enthusiasts, young and old. "You've got a few types of record people. You've got the collectors, and they're very picky about what they buy. They want first editions, or second editions; they want them to be immaculate," explained Lago. "And then you have young people that started to collect records. And then people who had records when they were young, who already have a record player." Even though there are certainly old records in the store, Lago said current-day artists are all also releasing a vinyl edition. Taylor Swift, for instance, has produced a slew of albums - and they can be pricey, as high as $60. CDs also have a growing market, as do cassette tapes. The difference is that current-day Walkmans, which play cassette tapes, are no longer run by batteries or plug-in headphones; they have USB charging capabilities and Bluetooth. "The cassettes we sell are mostly to young people. And they've found the Walkmans and they just think it's cool I guess," said Lago. Fat Elephant also buys records from customers and sometimes CDs, with punk, rock and hip hop being the especially desirable genres they're buying for. The store will evolve over the next several months; Lago plans to bring some record players in and perhaps even modern-day Walkmans. For the younger crowd, these "old school" devices are fun and cool; for the older crowd who were there when it all began, there's comfort in knowing that what once was old is truly new again. To learn more about Fat Elephant Records hours or other details, check out https://www.fatelephantrecords.com/