Weldcast

Conversing with Gary Bourgeois and Jimmy Griffin is like listening to a comedy team of long standing. They speak in a kind of code, in which one always knows exactly what the other is about to say, which story is about to be told of their four-decade friendship. For most of that time, they've also had a business relationship, first at the legendary Charlemagne Records at Five Points South, and for the past 14 years at Renaissance Records, also at Five Points. Standing in the well-packed confines of Renaissance on a recent Friday afternoon — surrounded by vinyl, CDs, DVDs and books — Bourgeois and Griffin spool out an idiosyncratically comprehensive catalogue of their musical knowledge, stories of their interactions with customers over the years, and their thoughts on how it is that one little corner of Birmingham, Alabama, supports two gloriously independent music stores. Enjoy the latest WeldCast.