I Finally Visited Third Man Records for The First Time

...and all I got was this stupid t-shirt. 

Okay, okay, it's definitely not stupid, nor is it a t-shirt. It's a Ragland and it's very soft and I love it muchly. 

But it is not nearly as soft as the hand-dyed socks I also treated myself too. 

Totally worth it, too. They are toasty AF. And I definitely need it up here. 

Ok, so, for those of you who do not know, Third Man Records is Jack White's record label. 

In case you did not know this, Jack White is the lead everything (aside from percussion) of The White Stripes. 

Also, in case you didn't know, The White Stripes are my favorite band of all time. 

Now, normally, I am not confident on 'favorite _____ of all times.'

Because I tend to like a variety, you know, and I don't wanna paint myself into a favorite corner. 

And also this... I don't like to pick favorites because I feel like that leads you to have to prove that you're a "big enough fan" to call whatever it is a favorite. 

Yeah, I'll be vocal AF about loving things a lot, but you won't catch me picking a favorite entertainment thing. 

I'll give you a list of my favorites of many categories, but the only thing that I consume with my eyes and ears that I feel confident picking a favorite in is my band. 

I remember the summer The White Stripes started hitting the radio waves, D took note of me perking up whenever their songs came on and, for my birthday, bought me my first album. 

She started an obsession, basically. And I love her even more for it. 

So, I've been waiting a long, long time to visit Third Man Records. 

There were a couple of opportunities to visit the Nashville location that kind of just fizzled out. 

When we started planning this scouting trip, I was so excited about the possibilities of the cathedral, that it didn't even cross my mind that I would be thisclose to the Cass Corridor location. 

However, once I realized that I would finally be going to Third Man Records, my gid level was off the charts. 

I was never worried that it would disappoint me. I often worry about this before embarking on something that I've thought about for a long time. 

I knew I would love it. I knew I would feel right there. 

You know how some places (and people for that matter) make you feel like the best you? 

I walked in and was so happy not to see an overstuffed mishmash of a store. 

But I was also thrilled that it wasn't stark and austere. 

It was bustling with personality and all the colors of the Jack White Rainbow. 

And the merch wasn't mass-produced nonsense to make cash grabs. 

It's thoughtful, a great deal of it was locally made, and, I dunno, they just felt cool to me. 

But of course they did, right? 

I am a dork, so I have a couple different White Stripes pins on the denim jacket I was wearing and the clerk noticed... and gave me a Cass Corridor exclusive pin to add to my collection. 

I didn't even look at the records because I knew I'd want to spend roughly one million dollars on exclusive pressings and they'd be difficult to bring home. 

Another thing I was excited to see in person? Some Jack White upholstery! (In case you didn't know, that is one of Jack's other non-music passions. I love a well-rounded human!)

Third Man Records is 100% worth the trip and I honestly can't wait to visit again. 

Is this even a blog? I vote yes, but it also feels more like a babble.