Taylor Swift has found her soul. It took a pandemic and four years of Trump, but it seems like ol' T-Swift has had a change of heart lately in regards to her power and place in the world.
In a past life she held her tongue and played the good girl when it came to expressing her opinions or using her influence. But all of that has changed lately. And in addition to finding her voice when it comes to speaking out against all of the evil out there, Lady Swift also seems to keep finding new ways to delight and thrill her fans daily.
Always one to go way (way) out of her way to spend time with her fans and find special ways to make them feel included, she’s also been surprising us all lately with sudden album releases. And now this: connection to her fans through independent record stores.
St. Petersburg’s Daddy Kool announced today that it has signed copies of Swift’s new album, Folklore, in stock and that it was selling them on a first come, first served basis. Shop icon Manny Kool told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay that his store found out about the 30 CDs Daddy Kool was getting on Friday. As of 1 p.m on Monday, they were all sold-out.
“Taylor Swift signed CDs. Local pick up by 6:30 Monday 8.24 only. No mail orders. 1 per person. Phone and walk in orders only. No DMs PMs comments emails etc. No holds. Must be paid when placing order,” Daddy Kool—which is located at 2430 Terminal Dr S., Side B in St. Petersburg’s Warehouse District—wrote on Instagram.
You might not be able to get a signed CD anymore, but supporting your local shop is more important than ever. You're in luck, too, because August 29 is the first 2020 Record Store Day drop, and indie retailers across the U.S.—including Daddy Kool—are celebrating with limited release items.
Swift has been instrumental (Get it? Get it?) in the survival of at least one record store lately. Nashville’s own Grimey’s fell on hard times when the pandemic hit, and Swift stepped up to supply the employees of the beloved shop with three months of pay and healthcare.
Record stores are central to the cultural ecosystem of any city, but it’s likely that some of Swift’s younger fans have never had the pleasure of visiting a small independent store and taking in the many wonders. Moves like this from stars like Swift might help fix that. And the more money spent in local shops, the better we all end up doing as a city collectively.
UPDATE: 08/24/20 1:15 p.m. Updated after the CDs sold out and Manny Kool filled us in on how many the shop got. You should still support the store and buy the rest of the Swift albums, plus others. I'll personally sign whatever you want.
This post was adapted from one that appeared in our sibling paper, Riverfront Times.
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This article appears in Aug 20-26, 2020.