NEW PORT RICHEY, Fla. — Passion can be contagious.

When you feel the excitement from someone who truly loves something, it’s tough not to be enveloped by their attitude.

To find that passion, look no further than Jimmy Michaud and the vinyl records in his little red box.

What You Need To Know

  • Eric Mullins and Jimmy Michaud are hosting their second annual record store crawl Saturday for National Record Store Day

  • The two live in New Port Richey and have a passion for music, especially vinyl

  • Vinyl sales, according to the Recording Industry Association of America, have grown for the 18th consecutive year, resulting in more than $1 billion in sales

He hosts a vinyl night at a local spot in New Port Richey every week and has a collection of 500 to 600 records — that’s after weeding most of them out.

“It has so much magic, honestly, to it that I really feel anybody, anywhere at any time could get involved with and they could find that feeling within themselves,” Michaud said. “It's really cool.”

The passion is shared by so many, but Michaud really met an equal in the love of vinyl with Eric Mullins.

“He just so happened to bring his album in one day,” Michaud recalled. “And then, I mean, really, the band was made pretty much there.”

Eric runs Mullins Music in New Port Richey, where he teaches kids and adults how to play music while sharing his love of the craft.

Not too long ago, Mullins wanted to start an educational tour of sorts that centered around vinyl.

“You kind of sit down, you let you get something to drink, relax, listen to it,” Mullins said. “You're engaged in that experience. That's why I really like vinyl.”

He came up with the idea for a record store crawl around the Bay Area and asked Michaud to co-host it with him.

“I've always loved to listen to music,” Mullins said. “You know, that seems kind of obvious for some. But I hope everybody has had that problem in their life.”

That seems to be the case when you see the latest sales numbers.

According to the Recording Industry Association of America, vinyl record sales have grown for the 18th consecutive year, resulting in more than $1 billion in sales.

Mullins and Michaud are teaching people about the history of vinyl and how they’re made, and will then tour five different shops this Saturday for National Record Store Day.

“For them to set up an event where they're going to all the different going to several different stores in the Tampa Bay region, really, embodies a spirit of Record Store Day,” said Manny Kool of Kool Daddy Records in St. Petersburg.

Kool didn’t hesitate when Mullins and Michaud asked to have the crawl come to his shop.

For them, it’s a chance to share their passion in a spot that’s embraces and celebrates that excitement.