When Karl Groeger Jr. wanted to round up people to meet a local band at the record store he recently took over from his dad, he spent several days passing flyers around town.
That was in 1991. Nowadays, Groeger posts on Instagram that a Long Island legend, a Jonas Brother or another high-profile celebrity will visit Looney Tunes Record Store, and within hours or even minutes, fans gobble up hundreds of meet-and-greet tickets.
Since March, Cardi B, Mariah Carey, Joe Jonas, Migos rapper Offset, and life and musical partners Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco have all popped into the West Babylon music store to interact with their fans.
“People ask me this all the time, ‘how is it possible?’” Groeger told Newsday one recent afternoon. “It’s just kind of what we do.”
Fans of Joe Jonas, right, of the Jonas Brothers, file in to to meet him in-person at the Looney Tunes Record Store in West Babylon, on May 28.
Over the past three decades, Groeger estimated more than 500 artists have walked into Looney Tunes for photo-ops, autograph sessions and live performances. The mutually beneficial arrangements allow Groeger to play host to longtime or first-time shoppers’ intimate experiences with some of their favorite artists, while the musicians and their record labels deepen their relationships with fans. The events also bolster a new release’s first week sales in hopes of claiming a No. 1 album.
Christina Meloche, vice president of revenue at Interscope Capitol, a Santa Monica, California-based record label, has been sending artists to Looney Tunes for years. She helped organize Gomez and Blanco’s unannounced stint working behind the shop’s counter and Offset’s new album signing and photo-op.
“Anytime that we have an artist that is in New York … we always say, ‘do they have time to do an in-store at Looney Tunes?’” Meloche said. While getting an artist from the city to Long Island can prove difficult on a tight schedule, she said the West Babylon shop remains a “go-to place” because Groeger is “a pro” at coordinating guest appearances.
“I would trust him to carry a kidney across the city for me,” Meloche added.
Setting the stage
Mariah Carey came to Looney Tunes in September to promote her new album. Credit: Neil Miller
For his most recent visitor, Carey, Groeger had a single day to prepare.
“There are a lot of moving parts that people don’t realize,” he said. “You have security, advertising, hair and makeup, lighting rigs and you have to get transportation for the artists.”
These events can cost “thousands, tens of thousands of dollars,” which Groeger said he hopes to recoup through each artist’s album sales. Some labels help cover costs.
“He’ll say ‘can you cover ‘x’ amount of dollars and I’ll hire security?’” Meloche said of collaborating with Groeger.
Record companies often send their artists to stores they can “count on” to order enough vinyl records or CDs ahead of events, Meloche said. As one of New York’s larger independent record stores, Looney Tunes has the funds and the relationships with the three major record distribution conglomerates to directly order hundreds, if not thousands, of copies of new releases.
After hiring security and navigating the supply chain, even the smallest details must be checked.
“Do you have Sharpies?” Meloche said. “It’s like setting up a show.”
Ska, Slayer and Sabrina
Jamie and Karl Groeger outside their record store Looney Tunes in 2007. Credit: Newsday/Michael E. Ach
Groeger’s father, Karl Sr., passed the shop he founded in 1971 to Groeger and his younger brother, Jaime, in 1990. The next year, a record label informed Groeger that Huntington ska band The Scofflaws wanted to thank him in-person for selling so many copies of their debut album.
When Groeger asked if the band would consider showing up with their instruments for an impromptu performance, the label said yes. He said he spent several days distributing flyers for a “pizza party,” meet-and-greet, live performance and autograph session with “one of my favorite bands.”
“We expected 10, 15 people to show up and like 300 people showed up,” Groeger recalled. “Something went off in my head, like a light bulb ‘maybe I should do this some more.’”
As the years passed, Looney Tunes hosted hundreds of acts of all stripes, but earned a reputation as a rock and metal mecca. In 2001 alone, the shop welcomed Biohazard, Ozzy Osbourne, Puddle of Mudd, Slayer and Staind, whose performance atop the record store’s roof was broadcast on MTV and drew “a sea” of 7,500 people, around 3,000 of whom scored autographs or photographs with the band afterwards, Groeger said. The Staind event, as well as Osbourne’s photo session with thousands of metalheads, are among Groeger’s favorite events.
Ozzy Osbourne attends a meet-and-greet at Looney Tunes in 2001. Credit: Karl Groeger Jr.
Hosting The Allman Brothers Band axeman and Gov’t Mule frontman Warren Haynes, who he described as “my favorite living guitar player,” thrice over for signings, photographs and performances also tops Groeger’s list of personal favorites.
Three Long Island emo bands — Bayside, Brand New and Taking Back Sunday — have routinely appeared at Looney Tunes for their many album releases and “have a little special piece in our heart,” Groeger said.
“We used to carry their music on consignment on cassette back in their early days,” he added. “The fact that those bands have been to the store so many times, they deserve their own special category.”
Looney Tunes has not only bolstered Long Island’s up and comers. Groeger has introduced Long Islanders to several acts when they were on the cusp of snatching the limelight, including Sabrina Carpenter, Renee Rapp and Yungblud.
Kasey Geiger, 15, left, of Amityville, and Mia Kahn, 16, of Massapequa, attend an album release party for a Sabrina Carpenter album.at the Looney Tunes on Aug. 29.. Credit: Howard Simmons
Customer Corrin Petrucci recalled watching Yungblud perform at Looney Tunes three years ago and posing for a photograph with him, her mother and her 5-year-old niece.
“I’ve loved him for so long,” Petrucci, 25, of Islip, said. “Being able to come here and get that was really special.”
With each appearance, Groeger said he is responsible for the artist having a good time, “but our main goal is that the customers who walk in the store have a wonderful time.” He hopes each event fulfills a promise expressed in the store’s logo — the phrase “where music and fun are one” printed in the circle that wraps a cartoon guitar-playing duck.
“That’s been our logo since 1971; my dad created it,” Groeger said. “We want to make sure that this is a fun place to be.”
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.newsday.com ’
