GROOVY GRAVEYARD Presents the VHS MELTDOWN FEST this Saturday, Sept 3rd 2016! Click for an Interview with Head of the Graveyard Eric Krause and all the Event Details!
The steady stream of VHS-driven events continues to flow with another totally radical VHS fest happening this upcoming weekend, taking place right next to the VHSandy shores of Asbury Park, NJ. Video Meltdown (aka VHS Meltdown) is kicking off on September, 3rd 2016 at Groovy Graveyard, running from 10am – 9pm (with the possibility of extending it to the next day!). You can get all the essential info on the official event page, but to get a little more insight on the assortment of analog that will be up for grabs at the event, Lunchmeat caught up with the caretaker of Groovy Graveyard one Mr. Eric Krause, who already happens to have quite a bit of history slingin’ those slabs of black plastic and magnetic magic. Read on, my fellow Videovores, and get ready to ride some serious rewind waves in a boneyard by the beach…
The absolutely radical flyer for VIDEO MELTDOWN event at Groovy Graveyard. Melty metal 5EVA.
LM: Can you tell us a little about Babylon Video, and how it morphed into Groovy Graveyard? Babylon Video must’ve allowed you to gather a most excellent array of home videos, man… EK: Where do I begin?? Babylon Video started as a video offshoot of the record label Absolute-A-GO-GO (a label owned by my friend Brad). Their claim to fame was the Miracle Legion, and the first Phish record. It started as a way to finance my own film, but quickly turned into its own thing. This was in the late 80's; I had just moved to NY and video was in full swing. Mom and Pop stores were thriving, and everyone was hungry for new VHS. I started out selling Amvest, a small label out of NJ who alternated between great, and amazingly crude cover art (think Gee Video). Amvest would probably be most recognized for their “Grampa Presents” home video series. I also sought out and dealt with labels like Cinema Home Video, Camp Video, and the like, while also visiting local distributors, and cherry-picking their shelves.
A groovy selection of Grampa Presents titles from Amvest. These rule, man.
What was the inspiration to put this VHShindig together? I decided to have this VHS shindig because my store Groovy Graveyard has a limited amount of space. I normally have a small amount of VHS at the store at any given time. A while back, I put up a small display for out-of-town buyers and was happy with the results. Since then, I've been frequently asked to do something again.
The way far out logo for Groovy Graveyard in Asbury Park, NJ. Peace to you, too, Groovy Skull Dude!
What can Tapeheads expect at VHS Meltdown? Any idea about how many tapes you’ll have on hand? All kinds of genres, etc.? People can expect lots of sexy big boxes, clamshells, and slipcases. There will be lots of big box horror, and exploitation films. We'll also have a couple tables of $1.00 tapes and DVDs. There will be labels like: Wizard, Paragon, Magnum Ent., Meda/Media, Lightning, Continental, VCI, Ocean Shores, etc... There will be many rare titles… Some still sealed!! I also used to carry a full line of Something Weird, and Incredibly Strange Filmworks, so fans can expect those, too!
Probably the most sought after MEDA tape out there. Will it be at VHS Meltdown? You'll have to get on down there and VHSee! Also, peep this.
Sounds totally killer, man. Since you were all up in the original home video boom, what are your thoughts on the resurgence of VHS, and the current climate of VHS collecting? I was always sad, when things shifted to DVD. I'm happy at the resurgence VHS has had, thanks to diehard fans like Ed McHale, Dan Kinem, and zines like yours, it has a new generation of fans. Anything else you wanna shout out to all the Tapeheads in LM Land? The only thing I would like to add is that, People have already shown a lot of interest in our event. I realize Asbury Park might be out of the way for some, but it'll be worth it! We also have a large selection of vinyl, comics, toys, and movie memorabilia. People can also check us out online at: www.groovygraveyard.com, and on FB at: www.facebook.com/groovygraveyard
VHS Meltdown sure sounds like an amazing VHS tape time, indeed, Videovores! This event is apt to be chock full of sexy sealed tapes, bodacious big boxes and killer collectible distributors, but not without those trusty dollar tapes that are always a groovy way to build that video library, man. Stay tuned to the Groovy Graveyard site and their Official Facebook. Something tells me they’ll be doing more VHS-centric events in the not so distant future. Eric, for all your radical rewind-inclined efforts, we here in Lunchmeat Land VHSalute you!
Groove and Groove and Dig It Deep, Dude!
Josh Schafer