Edmonton’s newest downtown venue is taking vinyl flooring to another level — and paying tribute to the city’s rich music history at the same time.
The Needle Vinyl Tavern wants to embed a collage of 500 vinyl records into parts of its floor — particularly LPs and seven-inch records released by Edmonton acts.
To do so, co-owner James Leder is asking musicians and fans to donate some of their vinyl records. They can drop them off at Alberta Music, #102, 10722 103 Ave., on weekdays from 9:30 to 4 p.m. Friday, Feb. 19 is the deadline.
“It can be anything from any era,” he says. “We’ve already got a bunch, but if people just want to bring by old, used records (from any artist), we’ll take them as well. Just in case.”
The Needle is located in CKUA’s former home, Alberta Block, at 10524 Jasper Ave. The 500-person room will share the building with a mix of tenants, including a makerspace, a barber shop, a digital arts school and realtors.
Leder says the vinyl flooring will be located “downstairs where the lobbies and bathrooms are. That whole area will be covered completely.” The records will be cut and pieced together, glued to the floor, then covered with a clear epoxy.
As for the album covers?
“Oh, there’s another place for the covers, for sure,” he says.
The Needle will open Thursday, March 10 with sets blues-rock duo The Harpoonist and The Axe Murderer and indie-rockers The Pistolwhips.
Edmonton’s 12-legged dance-rock monster, Shout Out Out Out Out, will headline Saturday, March 12.
Tickets are available at yeglive.ca.
