The Cold War is over, and liberal capitalism won. In a cheeky video mimicking former President Ronald Reagan’s speech calling for the Berlin Wall to be destroyed, Jack White’s Third Man Records has announced the opening of an extension to his Nashville, Tennessee, record store. Set to begin operations on Record Store Day’s Black Friday, November 23, the Third Man Novelties Lounge offers an array of appropriately Jack White-ish amusements.
One of the main attractions is a Scopitone 16mm film jukebox of Third Man music videos, billed by the label as “the only Scopitone playing modern music videos in the world.” Visitors to the Novelties Lounge can also enjoy a color photobooth and a Mold-A-Rama machine to make a miniature model of White’s guitar. Naturally, the announcement says these “mechanized attractions will run on official TMR gold tokens.” It all sounds like a combination between a Chuck E. Cheese’s play area and Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory, except catering to record geeks instead of sugared-up kids — in other words, probably well worth checking out.
The video also lays out Third Man’s plans for Black Friday releases. A seven-inch single of White’s Blunderbuss blues rave-up “I’m Shakin’” will be available, along with three limited-edition, red vinyl reissues of classic White Stripes 7-inch singles (“Dead Leaves & the Dirty Ground,” “Hotel Yorba,” and “Fell in Love With a Girl”). What’s more, Third Man will be releasing a 7-inch single by burlesque singer Tempest Storm, which comes with a picture disc that allows you to watch Storm dance while listening to the record. You should know this entire video announcement is accompanied by a lusty rendition of the old spiritual about the biblical Battle of Jericho, where, of course, “the walls came a-tumbling down.” This is freedom in the 21st century, Third Man-style.
