Give it a Spin: Why I love the Spin Connection
By Micah Weaver
As my friend and I drove up Franklin, away from Valley Mills, Rosa’s, and Chick-fil-A, I saw a gathering of people dancing and jumping in a building with the sign “Spin Connection” on it. A year into my audio engineering degree at McLennan Community College, I love music but have very little knowledge of the music scene in Waco. What’s this little shop about? I stopped by the next day and had a talk with the owner.
I freakin’ love Spin Connection! Tucked away in a non-descript strip center at 3703 Franklin Ave., it is a hidden treasure in Waco. They offer great vinyl, profound knowledge about vinyl and music in general, and a great experience in a family-owned store. They also host exciting concerts for young people in the community. I haven’t found or heard of another business in Waco doing anything like it.
The feeling that you’ve stumbled onto both history and a new experience overwhelms you the moment you walk in. I couldn’t stop searching through the huge collection of music at Spin Connection, and couldn’t believe all the different music available. There’s over 150 years of music history held within its walls! The analog music connects you with incredible events and performers from history such as Woodstock and Frank Sinatra, as well as iconic moments of the last couple of decades such as Childish Gambino, Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole, and the One O’Clock Lab Band. I love all those artists and their music. It’s music I jam to while driving with my friends and hanging out. To me, Spin Connection feels like a music lovers’ clubhouse (or garage).
The first major benefit of getting to know Spin Connection is getting to know the owner, Stan Wojciechowski. (Click here to hear how to pronounce his name.) Whether he’s helping you with your Lana Del Rey album or giving you a history lesson about Pink Floyd, interacting with Mr. Wojciechowski gives you a warm feeling. He makes you believe that everyone is accepted in Spin Connection and in the Waco music scene. He makes you feel like it’s never too soon or too late to chase your passions, realize your visions and help the community. Mr. Wojciechowski gave me incredibly smart, invaluable tips and pieces of wisdom through our conversation. It’s always awesome to stop by and chat.
Mr. Wojciechowski describes his love of classic rock and jazz passionately. That’s a testament to the genre(s) he listened to in his late teens and into adulthood. He’s an avid indie, classical and old-school swing fan. We vibed really well over our mutual tastes in music. Overall, he’s a fan of creativity and uniqueness. [Clip of Mr. W. talking about weird unique eclectic stuff].
Music transports you through time. Every time I find a song I love, it’s usually a combination of the setting I’m in, and the people I am with that can make or break a song for me. Mr. Wojciechowski understands that the experiences we have through music transcend genre. They connect people and cultures. [Clip of Mr. W. being inspiring and saying deep stuff about music] Spin Connection is an important pillar in Waco’s community. It is a musical place filled with integrity, history, and passion.
Mr. Wojciechowski gave me a crash course in how to check a vinyl album record for scratches, marks, chips and dings. He gave me tips on buying records from third parties, and taught me how the record physically plays (the needle falls into the groove and there’s a series of microscopic bumps inside each and every groove that the playhead needle scrapes as it goes around the record). If you have questions about records, record equipment or a particular album, you can bring it in to be inspected.
Spin Connection also supports local music by hosting live in-store concerts including local bands I love like The Doubting Thieves, The Morticians and The Pitchforks (Check them out). Local bands and people like Mr.Wojciechowski make Waco what it is today.
Spin Connection has incredible sales and discounts. They buy back certain “Special” items of interest. They send out alerts on Facebook and Twitter asking about people’s favorite albums. Following the Twitter and requesting your favorite song or album is a great way to show your support of music and local businesses. I highly recommend following them on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. I do and it’s been an incredible resource to know what new things they have in, what sales they have going on (Awaken My Love), and when the concerts are gonna happen (Par-tay). All the Deets!
Spin Connection is Mr. Wojciechowski’s legacy. It means a lot to him, his wife, and to many others that are infatuated with music and dedicate their lives to supporting music in Waco. His store gives young adults in Waco somewhere to sing, dance and discover new awesome music. It also gives adults somewhere to explore their musical youth. Spin Connection is growing an awesome community of music loving maniacs in Waco. Come join the party!
Micah Weaver is a die hard Wacoan of 21 years. He is studying Mass Communications at McLennan Community College. While at MCC he Studied Audio Engineering and has completed his A.A.S. in Audio Engineering Studies, as well as a General Academic Associate Degree. He plans of transfer to Texas State in the Fall to pursue his Bachelor’s and Masters in Mass Communication with a focus in Electronic Digital Media. He loves music, video games, Tex-Mex, and Youtube. He enjoys learning and introspection and wants be an influential voice for his generation.
The Act Locally Waco blog publishes posts with a connection to these aspirations for Waco. If you are interested in writing for the Act Locally Waco Blog, please email [email protected] for more information.