Beat swap, dance battle and chow down at this block party with a vinyl heart

Even if you don’t have a record collection, the Beat Swap Meet offers tasty music, food, art, design and dance.

By Erin Ryan (contact)

Thursday, May 17, 2012 | 2:45 p.m.

Dinosaurs don’t rise from the dead, especially in the tech realm. Sure, there are diehard enthusiasts who keep the eight-track on life support, but its chance to impact the greater global culture has passed. There is one thing, though, with enough inherent cool and preserved inventory to come roaring back in recent years, a round, shiny thing that is literally grooved with music—a record.

Had my mother not foolishly, tragically sold her collection at a garage sale in the 1980s, I would have a goldmine on original vinyl. But she couldn’t have known how desirable both the mainstream hits and obscure gems would be in the 21st century. Collectors (and vendors cashing in on their growing numbers) will be privy to stacks upon stacks of the classic musical storage device at this weekend’s Beat Swap Meet , a traveling event featuring blues, funk, hip-hop, jazz, metal, punk, reggae, rock, soul and world music on 12-inchers and 45s. The founders describe BSM as “records and everything inspired from it.”

That means that from 6 p.m. to midnight on Saturday, May 19, local hip-hop nerve center the Distrct will host an outdoor Vendor Village of vinyl, original street fashion and art among food trucks and DJs (Aurajin, Early Worm, EarwaxXx, Spair and Jawa, to name just a few) spinning rare selections from their record collections. Performing live will be beatmasters dirtRAID and the hopefuls competing in the Red Bull BC One Vegas B-boy Qualifier.

It’s an all-ages party, and cover is only $5 if you bring along an item of canned food for BSW to donate. Good vibes all around.