Photo Courtesy of Mick Haupt- Pexels
Make sure to visit Buzzo Music next time you're up on Main!
Music is a binding force for small communities. It has the unique power to both structure local identity and provide solace to those who feel like outsiders, acting as both tradition and innovation. Geneseo’s own Buzzo Music is a staple of Main Street. It has served as the heart of Geneseo’s music culture for 56 years, all thanks to its co-founder, Al “Buzzo” Bruno.
Buzzo grew up on Long Island and came to SUNY Geneseo in 1967 to study music. Buzzo Music was opened in November of 1970 when Buzzo and the rest of his SUNY Geneseo music group, “The Al Bruno Quartet,” pitched in 500 dollars each to open a small music store in town.
According to Buzzo, “when we opened there was [only] one guitar and 300 records.” At the time, rock music was flying off shelves around the country. In Geneseo, “bluegrass was hot” while rock lagged slightly behind. The store was a favorite of students and quickly became part of SUNY Geneseo’s culture.
In 1971, Buzzo left Geneseo and married Ellen Phillips, his now ex-wife and longtime friend, who still works in the store today. They wed in Bethel, New York. Shortly after their marriage, Buzzo was in a life-changing motorcycle accident. As he stated, “I was in the hospital for over five months.”
With his family’s support, Buzzo made an incredible recovery. As his bandmates dispersed, he and his wife returned to Geneseo in 1972 to run Buzzo Music and have done so ever since. The store maintained its small-town charm while growing its stock tremendously. When describing the store’s peak stock numbers, Buzzo claims, “we had over 600 guitars.”
Buzzo Music is known for a run in with the Grateful Dead that happened only a few years after the store’s opening. The Grateful Dead were on a bill with The Allman Brothers Band for the historic Summer Jam at Watkins Glen in July 1973. Early into the festival, “they blew out two large JBL speakers.” This caused a scramble: “they called all around because they were in a hurry to get them.” Eventually, they called Buzzo Music and speakers were picked up and brought to the show. The festival turned into one of the most iconic performances in Grateful Dead history. “An estimated 600,000 people attended,” a record-breaking turnout according to the New York State Police.
This is one of multiple connections to music history interwoven into Buzzo Music’s legacy. Buzzo’s brother “promoted Creed”; there is a large, framed Creed poster when you walk into the store, and Buzzo is happy to talk about the stories he has heard about the band and his brother’s experiences.
There is also a framed photo of Jimi Hendrix tucked away among the plethora of memorabilia throughout the store. This photo was taken by one of Buzzo’s friends. Jimi is seen “walking backstage” and “getting ready for a show.” It is a rare candid shot of a music idol hidden among the many other treasures of the store.
When you walk into Buzzo Music, you are immediately greeted with grace. The history is on full display; every corner of the store is crawling with vintage memorabilia, photos, instruments, and music. Anything you touch carries with it a lineage of music lovers before you.
Stores like Buzzo Music serve to remind us that we can have a healthy relationship with media in the modern age. Younger generations are seeking out physical media to embrace a deeper and more mindful connection to the things they care about. And there is no better way to do so than by slowing down, walking into an old record store, and bringing purpose back into purchasing.