Lindsay and Daniel Fitzgerald founded Hello Goodbye Records with the intention of supporting and promoting area musicians. Photo: Tristan Williams.
On Fourth Street, around the backside of Tavern & Grocery restaurant, a sign with large type reads “vinyl records.” A thick arrow at the bottom points to the doorway of Hello Goodbye Records, an independent record shop that offers a selection of new and used vinyl. Inside, you’ll find welcoming smiles from co-owners Daniel and Lindsay Fitzgerald.
In 2023, the Fitzgeralds opened Hello Goodbye Records across town in Market Square, “an iconic little Charlottesville place that’s had recording studios and all kinds of little artsy spots,” says Daniel. With community support, the store quickly outgrew its “little Chateau,” says the owner, and moved to a larger space at 108 Fourth St., where the couple could expand their business and be closer to the heart of downtown.
Passionate about physical music media, the Fitzgeralds always knew they wanted to get into the business of selling records and collaborating with local bands. Daniel opened his first record shop in 2005, but couldn’t compete with the surge in digital distribution. Ironically, it was the pandemic shutdown that motivated another attempt at opening a brick-and-mortar store.
“During COVID, I did a huge deep dive back into vinyl—like a lot of people did—and Lindsay and I decided from that point on, it was something we wanted to do professionally again,” says Daniel.
Inside HGR’s modern space, the Fitzgeralds’ affinity for vintage comes across in fun decor like an old jukebox displaying a 45 of The Beatles’ “Hello Goodbye.” In the crates is an eclectic, affordably priced vinyl selection ranging from experimental Japanese music to Diana Ross and Portishead. Music lovers can explore dozens of genres and subgenres—grunge, blues, jazz, vintage folk, modern indie, and electronic music like Slow Pulp’s Big Day or Magdalena Bay’s Imaginal Discs. The shop also sells books, band merch, vinyl care products, and a quirky selection of handmade dog collars designed in rock ‘n’ roll themes.
The majority of the Hello Goodbye’s retail inventory is sourced through major and independent distributors with some pickups from community collectors. In an effort to expand support of local music, HGR recently partnered with Citizen Vinyl in Asheville, North Carolina, to help Charlottesville-area bands press their independent albums affordably. Üga Büga, Kendall Street Company, Kai Crowe-Getty, Raised by Sheep, and Amminal have released tracks through this channel.
“We help educate bands on the process and make it comprehensible, approachable, and then more eco-friendly [because] carbon footprint is big with us at Hello Goodbye,” says Daniel.
The latest project to emerge through HGR’S support is Half Sweet, an album from local pop-punk emo band Pinkish. The record was pressed on clear bio vinyl, a completely recyclable material, splattered with a purple luminescence at its center.
As the success of Hello Goodbye Records has grown, the Fitzgeralds’ commitment to local music has become even more evident. In support of the Pinkish record release in June, the store co-promoted a Third Rail concert at IX Art Park as part of a live series hosted by WTJU.
Other efforts include an upcoming reissue with Metrozine founder and documentary filmmaker Scott Crawford, notable for chronicling the Washington, D.C., punk scenes of the ’80s and ’90s.
“We’re going to be doing this huge reissue series of his records, [including] the Alive and Kicking compilation,” a 1985 hardcore punk record, Daniel says.
“I think that people are always looking for the vinyl,” he adds. “You know, the local stuff, starting from Dave Matthews right on down the line to Pinkish.”
