By Robert M. Sarwark
On the evening of Saturday, February 7, I braved the fairly chilly weather to head to The Record Loft ATL, located at 720 Moreland Avenue. Margo and Steve Tockerman’s mom-and-pop vinyl-focused shop is now located across the street from its former location in Ormewood Square. The move took place this past summer and, besides the easier access at the street level, means that A. they are no longer technically a loft, and B. they’re now located in East Atlanta, not Ormewood Park. Much more important than my silly semantics, of course, is their continued focus on high-quality records and more.
Anyway, in celebration of Robert Nesta “Bob” Marley’s birthday (he would have turned 81 on February 6), DJ Baldhead of Baldhead Soundsystem was spinning classic, all-vinyl Jamaican sounds, including a heavy dose of Mr. Marley’s oeuvre. A 10% discount compelled me to purchase two LPs even though my turntable is still in storage. I walked away with an Australian import of dub pioneer Lee “Scratch” Perry’s Truth and Wizdom, 1971-1975 and a 1970 reissue of A Mod A Mod Ranglin (1966) by Jamaican guitar virtuoso Ernest Ranglin. I also grabbed a copy of Daniel Rachel’s recent book, Too Much Too Young: The 2 Tone Records Story, which I am thoroughly enjoying. (Once a ska kid, always a ska kid.)
I admit that as a slightly underslept and overdomesticated dad of a one-year-old, my social graces have deteriorated accordingly. So when I opened the BYOB tall-boy I had in my back pocket (as encouraged by the event’s listing), I fully neglected to do the tappa-tappa on the lid to prevent a beer-՚splosion. And due to the very bouncy gait I’ve had for as long as I can remember, a beer-՚splosion was indeed what I got. But just then proprietress Margo, as if summoned by the mere presence of my fatherly awkwardness, happened to walk by. She very kindly passed me a roll of paper towels as I muttered my apologies. I mopped up my mess with profuse thanks and got back to slightly bopping my head to the music (and pretending I was not the complete klutz I may or may not be).
Photos by Robert M. Sarwark
Having somewhat regained my composure after losing about three ounces of recarbonated IPA, I struck up conversations with the Tockermans. The friendly couple currently reside in Gresham Park but had previously lived in Decatur, they told me, where they opened the first iteration of Record Loft in 2021. In 2022, they moved the operation to Ormewood Square. And now, they plan to stay in East Atlanta/Moreland Avenue, where the demand for vinyl and other music formats and paraphernalia is obviously going strong (they join EAV’s Black Habit Records, Games & Movies, which opened shop in 2024). Steve also surprised me with the fact that, like me, he had also attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison… exactly twenty years before me. (Go Badgers.)
So if you’re looking for some great vinyl selections, lively conversations, or both, do not miss Record Loft and the Tockermans, now in East Atlanta. And don’t forget to tappa-tappa on your beer.
