Nearly 35 years after its grand opening, the record store Flat, Black and Circular, or FBC, 541 E. Grand River Ave., remains a strong component in East Lansing.
The owners, Dick Rosemont and MSU alumnus Dave Bernath, first opened FBC in September 1977, stocking their new venue with records, cassettes, sheet music and more. Over time, some new products have been introduced, such as CDs and DVDs, but the basis of the store remains the same, Bernath said.
“It feels good that it’s still happening,” he said. “Vinyl is starting to come back. It never really left, and it will outlive CDs. There have always been people who need to have it in their hands.”
The store is still run by Bernath and Rosemont, as well as a few official employees. Bernath said the change in the music scene was at one time a worry, but business has been steady since the start.
“We’re still here after everything has been digitized,” Bernath said. “There’s still a contingent of people here. It’s been a fun ride. I mean, I came to school here just like everyone else, and we opened this place, and we’re still here today.”
Human biology freshman Collin Banghart said he favors FBC over other local record stores because of the wide variety of records, and that it’s no surprise that FBC is still around.
“They definitely have a much bigger selection,” he said. “They have a lot more modern stuff, so it’s easy for anyone to come find something they will like. I think having something that’s tangible makes you more attached to what you’re buying.”
Linguistics freshman Haley Rooney said the overall mood of the store is what keeps her coming back.
“It’s a great atmosphere,” Rooney said. “They have lots of cool stuff and something for everybody. No matter what kind of music you like, you can always find something there.”
After years of new songs, artists and genres, FBC remains in Campus Town Mall, selling vinyl as they set out to do when they opened. Bernath said the timelessness of a record will always have its appeal over today’s music.
“The great thing about vinyl is that you could listen to it and know you will enjoy 50 minutes of music,” Bernath said. “When CDs come out, most of it’s filler. It’s hard to make 80 minutes of music per year on a CD. It gets watered down. Artists now have to keep putting music out. I like the people who just put out one good CD and wait a few years until they have real content again.”
Despite their love for classic-style music, FBC continues to stock new and old styles in records, CDs, books, videotapes and more. They said they hope to keep going strong into
the future.
Support student media! Please consider donating to The State News and help fund the future of journalism.
