Upstate Beat: 20 years later, the River Street Beat goes on

A group of vinyl record afficionados and rock ‘n’ roll fans gathered at River Street Beat Shop in downtown Troy last Sunday to celebrate the store’s 20th anniversary with a performance by Off the Record, a too-fun Capital Region group that pays homage to swinging 1960s rock, soul and lounge.

Off the Record singer Joanna Palladino, dressed in an emerald-green satin jumpsuit, kicked off her gold heels to dance energetically in the corner of the record shop during a set that included songs by the Ronettes, the Velvelettes and The Creation. Album covers by artists such as the Kinks, Bob Dylan and the Animals lined the walls in front of bins offering $3 rock, jazz and classical LPs.

“You’re surrounded by posters of the all-time greats when you play here — the Velvet Underground, the Rolling Stones, the Beatles,” said Off the Record drummer Bob Resnick after the show, when asked what makes the record store so special. “If you can’t play rock ‘n’ roll under these circumstances, you can’t play it anywhere.”

A bottle of champagne and plastic cups sat on the store counter, where River Street Beat Shop founder Jimmy Barrett held court beside a giant set of black balloons spelling out 20. Barrett’s son, Liam, who has taken over management of the store, stood in a corner, surrounded by flyers and posters from shows of years past, including a local gig by the Fleshtones and a 2003 battle of the bands between Blotto and the Lawn Sausages, the ribald rock group that Jimmy Barrett co-founded.

“It flew by because it was so much fun,” Jimmy Barrett said when asked to sum up the past 20 years at the store, which has hosted shows by bands such as Cape Cod ensemble the Chandler Travis Philharmonic; Hudson Valley singer-songwriters Amy Rigby and Wreckless Eric; Australian surf guitar guru Ben Rogers; and perennial store favorites Off the Record and the Va Va Voodoos.

The Beat Shop’s customers have always been his favorite part of owning the store, Jimmy Barrett said as patrons lined up at the counter to congratulate him on the anniversary and give him hugs.

“I’ve always learned from my customers and my die-hard record-collecting fans,” he said.

For an unbelievable 57 consecutive years, Barrett has hosted a local record show, which was broadcast for years on WRPI Troy 91.5 FM before moving to the RadioRadioX streaming station. Called “Kaleidoscope,” the show airs Mondays from 8 to 10 p.m.

“I don’t have a favorite kind of music. I like every kind of music,” Barrett said of his eclectic musical taste. “I like music, period. I’m curious about music. I’m never afraid to try anything new. My mother was a really good musicia, and I got my music interest from her,” he said of his mother Veronica, a violinist.

“She let me listen to anything in the house as long as I enjoyed it, and she never discouraged it,” he added. “At an early age I listened to R&B, blues and doo-wop. In the late 1950s, I heard when rock ‘n’ roll broke. Then Woodstock and hippie [music], and then punk rock. I’ve been around for all of it from the very beginning.”

Jimmy Barrett’s earliest influence was a DJ called the Hound from Buffalo, aka George Lorenz, whose nightly show on WKBW in the 1950s introduced the nation to the emerging genre known as rock ‘n’ roll.

“I like crazy, wild, sloppy rock ’n’ roll that doesn’t have to be perfect,” Barrett said. “I’ve also been a maniac supporter of local music.”

Barrett has owned the record store long enough to see vinyl records go out of style — and then come back. Meanwhile, CDs came into style, went back out and are now popular again in the used format.

In the Capital Region, vinyl-record stores have increased since the pandemic, with new ones popping up around the region including Sound House Records in Troy, Off-Track Records in Saratoga Springs, Love Vinyl Records in Schenectady, Spa City Music in Malta and Sweet Side Records in Glens Falls.

“I’ve always had a faithful base of hardcore record collectors,” Barrett said. “It’s not a novelty anymore.

In the last seven to eight years, records have become big among young people. It’s not going away. I see a resurgence in CDs, too. Older customers cannot get them in the malls anymore so they come here.”

Barrett is pleased to see that his son shares his love for the record business.

“My son is a hard worker,” he said. “I think he’s going to continue keeping the business successful. He loves the customers and the music — just like I do. Music and this business is in Liam’s blood.”

Although he said the business is now his son’s to run, Barrett has no plans to retire from his spot behind the counter.

“I’m going to die holding an album,” he said.

The Week Ahead

The monthly astrologically themed super-fun Planetarium dance parties at No Fun in Troy continue with Saturday’s happening featuring Sagittarius vibes and tunes by DJ Trumastr. 8 p.m.

Three members of the legendary Lost Planet Airmen reunite at the Hangar on the Hudson in Troy for Bill Kirchen’s Honky Tonk Holiday Show on Saturday to celebrate songs from a new reunion CD, “Back from the Ozone,” and play some rarely heard holiday tunes. 8 p.m.

British new wave rock band The Fixx brings their classic lineup and a recent album, “Every Five Seconds,” to Empire Live in Albany on Saturday. With Kasim Sulton. 8 p.m.

The Troy Victorian Stroll is one of the best holiday events of the year. Don your best top hat or Victorian bonnet on Sunday and walk the gilded-age streets of downtown Troy to check out music from a host of performers, including Off the Record at Ryan’s Wake (3 p.m.) and The Lustre Kings at Takk House (3 p.m.).

Contact Kirsten Ferguson at theupstatebeat@gmail.com.