Music News

Third Man Rolling Record Store stops at Zzz Records in Des Moines

By Michael Swanger
By Michael Swanger
By Michael Swanger

More filling than a food truck.

That was the consensus among music fans and record collectors who lined up during their lunch breaks on Wednesday, Sept. 27 outside of Zzz Records in Des Moines to satisfy their appetite for vinyl at the Third Man Rolling Record Store.

An extension of Jack White’s Third Man Records label and the artist’s tireless effort to preserve and promote recorded music on vinyl (White is a board member of the Library of Congress’ National Recording Preservation Foundation), the truck was parked in front of Zzz Records from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. A crowd mostly comprised of Millennial and Generation X music lovers stood in line for the opportunity to purchase Third Man Records merchandise that included turntable accessories, clothing and 33 1/3 and 45 r.p.m. records from a wide range of artists like Charley Patton, Loretta Lynn, The White Stripes, Parquet Courts and White’s solo recordings. The truck also sold exclusive releases by Muddy Waters, Bob Seger, The Carter Family and Autolux.

Des Moines was one of only five cities visited by the Third Man Rolling Record Store during its fall tour of the Midwest in which it stopped at independent record stores. It was the first time since 2015 that it visited Zzz Records, which last weekend celebrated its 17th anniversary.