Normals: Where readers go to rock
Do you have a slightly eccentric aunt or uncle, who's traveled extensively, always has a strange story to share (with the documentation to back it up), and who you are convinced is the coolest person on earth? Someone whose house is filled with artifacts from travels, photos of exploits and exotic friends met along the way.
Now imagine your relative owns a bookstore. That's Normals.
Recently named in Rolling Stone as one of the venues that makes Baltimore the country’s “Best Scene,” Normals in Waverly is celebrating its 18th birthday this year, and between big discounts and a party headlined by local punk rockers Thank You, it's a celebration you won't want to miss.
“When we first opened, we made a conscious decision to be diverse,” co-owner Rupert Wondolowski says. “We once even sold a bike to John Waters.”
And while Waters may be disappointed that bikes are no longer offered at Normals, the "diverse" vision persists with a vast library and vinyl selection.
A little background
“We’ve always been on this block,” Wondolowski says, although the store did move from its original location when the collection of goods became too large. “It’s always been a very progressive neighborhood.”
And about that name: Normals refers to what Wondolowski calls the original nine owners’ “day jobs.” Instead of working a 9-5, doing something they hated, “we participated in schizophrenic studies for one of the universities in the city, where we were designated as the ‘normals’.”
Clientele
He credits the diverse nature of customers -- including college students, retirees and out-of-towners -- with the store's continued success. “And it’s beyond just a store.”
He’s speaking of Red Room, a performance space donated by his business partner, John Berndt. There are about eight people in this collective, which features Saturday night shows, including music and readings.
Popular sections
While Normals has an extensive collection of books -- a "Thanatology" section caught my eye -- album sales are taking off at the moment.
“Vinyl is on fire,” he says. Some of the store's biggest business comes from “people in their 20s building a collection for the first time.”
But be sure to check out the local section, including a nice collection of H.L. Mencken's works, while you're perusing the LPs -- and prepare to spend a few hours getting lost in the maze of bookshelves.
Events
On June 13, the store will mark its birthday with a concert featuring the aforementioned Thank You, an appropriately named band to headline the event. “We love our customers,” Wondolowski says.
And for those customers, all used merchandise will be discounted 20 percent.
They’re also gearing up for the highly anticipated 10th annual High Zero Festival in September, an invitation-only experimental music fest with participants from all over the world.
"Also, I've been running the Shattered Wig Press and Shattered Wig Nights since 1988. I'm pretty sure that makes us the longest running at this point," Wondolowski says. "I'm up to issue #27 on the magazine, and we've published 20 books by local and national writers."
This is a busy year for the Baltimore institution; stop by and be a part of the festivities.
While she always preferred The Hardy Boys to Nancy Drew, 
