Grooveyard's store exterior

Image Credit: Grooveyard

Spinning Records Helps Join Together the Generations

Any music lover will tell you that simple grooves cut into a vinyl disc can translate to smile-cracking memories or revive life-altering good times. Of course, the grooves we are talking about are on a vinyl record, and Penticton's Grooveyard Records is the perfect place to recall old memories or create new ones. After all, Grooveyard represents 34 years of curating an extensive collection of all things music.

From vinyl records to pop-culture memorabilia, Grooveyard has three decades of experience helping enthusiasts procure music-related items. Many customers who drop by the Grooveyard store on Main Street are there to dig into the past for long-lost memories - or pick out the perfect pop album for a young, burgeoning music lover. Grooveyard is ideal for finding meaningful gifts because its products cross all demographics. They carry everything from tee-shirts and posters to records and curios, but it is the vinyl that is their bread and butter.

Grooveyard owner Andrew Jakubeit sums up the tremendous impact that vinyl records can have in one sentence. "Nothing replaces having a physical copy of your favourite artist's record or the warm sound that comes from vinyl." Sure, it is hip to be into vinyl, but the reason for that transcends simple pop-culture trends. Andrew reminisces about the emotions that music creates or revives, and how those memories touch all parts of society. "Just watching people browse for records puts a smile on my face," he tells me. And it is not just the so-called "vinyl generation" who is finger-walking through Grooveyard's collections, either.

Younger generations are finding out in an organic way where today's music came from, falling in love with the same music that their parents (or even grandparents) loved. Discovering that music in a random format, such as searching online through Grooveyard's impressive library, is far more meaningful than a random Spotify recommendation.

Happening across an album you used to have can bring back a flood of emotions, from that first record you owned, to a concert you once enjoyed. Andrew shares one such memory with me. When Metallica released their Black album, Grooveyard opened at midnight on the first day they could sell it. That tidbit of history surprises me. Penticton locals lining up at midnight to buy the new Metallica record? "The lineup was a block long," Andrew tells me. The history of Grooveyard is long and storied.

Grooveyard's store interior

Image Credit: Grooveyard

A Legacy Created by Penticton's Grooviest Businesswoman

Andrew fills in some of the early history of Grooveyard. His wife, LeAnne Jakubeit, was the store's founder, and the store remains her legacy, as Grooveyard lost LeAnne a few years back. LeAnne Jakubeit is often described as "Penticton's grooviest businesswoman," and that play on words aptly described her and the groovy store she created. Grooveyard thrives because of LeAnne's gift, a store capable of connecting people to their memories and helping them share those memories with those close to them.

Grooveyard: Home to Memory-Making Gifts

Vinyl, and pop culture in general, is a genre of excellent, meaningful gifts that can spark a burst of memories. For example, a kaleidoscope of emotions is tied to things like your favourite concert or the first time you heard a particular song. For Andrew, anytime he hears Dire Straits, he smiles. "I was driving around Kelowna with a buddy, and we just happened to hear that Dire Straits was playing that very night in Vancouver. We looked at each other, and hours later, we were buying tickets at the entrance," Andrew tells me, chuckling. Those are the priceless memories that records, concert posters, rock tee-shirts and artist memorabilia produce.

It's not every day you chat with someone whose job is playing music and meeting interesting people. Andrew Jakubeit is one such person. I enjoyed my conversation with Andrew immensely, and just like his store, he unleashed a flood of memories for me. He also awakened something I had never thought of: vinyl records (and pop culture in general) might be the most meaningful gift a person could give. By sharing a favourite memory, you can set someone else loose on a life-long musical memory path of their own.

Located on Main Street in downtown Penticton, Grooveyard Records does business on the same street where they have been creating and sharing memories for 34 years. Drop in to their location on 239 Main Street and chat with Andrew and the Grooveyard crew about your memories, or let them drop the needle on some new ones. To get an idea of the vast collection of clothing, artwork, and, of course, vinyl collections, check out Grooveyard's great website.

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