Your turntable’s not dead. At least that’s what Third Man Records (owned by Jack White) has been saying for years and I have to say…it’s definitely true. For those of you still not on the bandwagon to vinylville, consider the fact that listening to vinyl releases more dopamine in your brain than MP3s or that it has the ability to rekindle our connections to album artwork. These among many, MANY other reasons make listening to music on vinyl the best way to listen (besides live of course). Yesterday, Third Man Pressing in Detroit hosted it’s grand opening and it was nothing short of epic.
In the past, United Record Pressing in Nashville did all the vinyl pressing for Third Man Records (in addition to that of many, many other labels). However, when the Cass Corridor location of Third Man Records opened in 2015, plans for a pressing plant of Jack White’s own went into motion and yesterday fans could come see it full circle.
Heading into the TMR shop, a viewing window at the very back allows you to see right into the plant where eight new vinyl pressing machines created by the German company, Newbilt have been installed. According to Third Man, these are the first pressing machines to have been built in over thirty years (which is a really big deal when you think about it). Third Man Pressing aims to be “the plant for everybody”, meaning anyone who wants to have their vinyl pressed here can do that. Isn’t that cool? It’ll definitely help an entire musical generation get going professionally and better yet, they’re being helped by musicians that have been there before.
Photo Credit: Ryan Mueller
The tour of the plant was pretty cool, albeit short. A large mural done by a Cass Corridor artist on the back wall ties the room together and everything is done right in this room (previously a Jeep dealership). From screen printing to master stamping, pressing and quality control, the entire process can be seen from the previously mentioned viewing window. It is also anticipated by Third Man Records that this plant will create at least 50 living wage jobs in Detroit. Shout out to our tour guide, who did a great job touring us!
Mural by Cass Corridor Artist Robert Sestok, Photo Credit: Ryan Mueller
Quality Control Centre, Photo Credit: Ryan Mueller
The event itself was kicked off with the release of eight exclusive records pressed right in the plant (among the big names were the White Stripes, The Stooges and MC5) as well as an exclusive poster for the day and a Third Man Pressing Plant poster created by Rob Jones (Rob Jones is an amazing artist, check him out)! The first eight people with vault coins (TMR’s exclusive release vinyl club) in line also received one of eight variations on the poster.
Later on, bands took the stage inside the record shop for an afternoon of live music. Fans were treated to the likes of The Craig Brown Band, Kelly Stoltz, The Oblivions and the Mummies. We also heard live poetry readings and as a side note, Ryan and I were able to meet Jack White finally! Overall, it was a day of awesome music, great friends and a historic moment in the music industry. I couldn’t have been more excited to be a part of it and it was definitely worth another long wait in line! If you get a chance, I highly recommend checking out Third Man Pressing in Cass Corridor, Detroit.
The Oblivians, Photo Credit: Ryan Mueller
The Mummies, Photo Credit: Ryan Mueller
Peace, love and history.
P.S. To see the video where I got many of my facts watch this: