Blake Gillespie

Back Writer

Blake Gillespie is a freelance journalist. His work can be found in the Sacramento Bee, Sacramento News & Review, Submerge Magazine and Vice.com.

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The Untold Story of Used Records Stores

Sacramento area record store owners balk at talk of record sales’ decline

There was a moment leading up to 2013 when it looked as though the record store would join the dodo on the extinction list. Record sales were plummeting due to rampant pirating, digital sales became the primary metric and the major labels were scrambling to shut down the piracy, while appealing to the modern user. Then, reports began circulating that vinyl sales were up.

Aug 24, 2017 Blake Gillespie

Sofar So Good

An international music show has come to Sacramento — but you’ll only find it if you know where to look

Founded in 2010, Sofar’s first shows were in London, but now includes gatherings in 333 cities worldwide — including countries like Switzerland, Azerbaijan, India, Serbia, Egypt, Brazil and Russia. It considers music and musicians as an untapped global resource in the same way that people with a spare bedroom are replacing the hotel establishment.

Apr 26, 2017 Blake Gillespie

The Cost of Doing it Yourself

Artists and promoters say if Sacramento’s mayor wants the ‘raw energy’ of an art scene to thrive, then the city needs to rethink its permit policies

The mayor is putting aside $500,000 to be distributed in the city’s eight districts. The money is intended to activate arts innovation hubs and programs, but many in the arts community don’t see the funding as an aid if entertainment permit policy demands they hand the money back over to the city.

Mar 22, 2017 Blake Gillespie