Third Man Rolling Record Store Draws a Crowd at LUNA Music

The Third Man Rolling Record Store, a yellow truck that sells material from the label that shares its name, was parked in front of LUNA Music in SoBro yesterday. Started by indie-rock icon Jack White, the Nashville label (which recorded Indianapolis group We Are Hex) has something of a cult following, and the truck drives to different cities throughout the year to sell primarily vinyl records from bands ranging in genre from hip hop to rock to country.

“The idea behind it is that we come to the people instead of them coming to Nashville,” said store manager Dani Robb. “It’s like a food truck, for records.” The truck had been on the road for the past six days, stopping in cities such as St. Louis and Memphis before visiting Indianapolis. 

The rolling store opened at 11 a.m., to a line that stretched down the block—Hoosiers hungry to buy limited-edition vinyl. Third Man recently partnered with legendary Sun Records (Elvis Presley’s first label) to reissue material from Johnny Cash and other musicians from the 1950s. The truck had 100 copies of an obscure album from The Prisonaires, an incarcerated ’50s doo-wop group, and sold them all. “We’re really honored to reissue those,” said Robb.

Robb said that many record collectors seek out the truck. Seventeen-year-old Austin Roberts certainly did.

“Just recently I became a fan of Jack White, and I heard it was going to be out here, so I just up and went,” said Roberts. “I drove almost an hour so I could get Jack White’s new record.”

LUNA employee Taylor Shirek was struck by the enthusiasm of the customers who showed up. 

“There was a bunch of people in lawn chairs waiting before the truck came,” said Shirek, adding that the store places frequent product orders with the label. “You could tell they were excited.”

Robb said that being on the road in the rolling record store is entertaining, especially when people know who they are. “I think one of my favorite things is when truckers recognize us on the highway and honk,” she said. “Or when we get weird looks at gas stations and people come up to see what we are.”

LUNA Music, 5202 N. College Ave., 283-5862, lunamusic.net.