The internet has, beyond doubt, changed the face of music consumption. In a bygone era, fervent fans would gather around a record player, listening together to the latest release from their favourite band. Fast forward to 2016, and sites like Spotify, YouTube, and Apple Music have made music insular, letting users mash up single songs from each artist.

Local Vancouver collective Record Club aims to wind back the clock. Recognizing the social gap that individual playlists have created, the group draws together music fans as a community to celebrate some of the best albums ever recorded—in their entirety.

Each month, Record Club chooses a particular LP as its theme, and invites speakers to tell stories about the relationship between the music and a time in their life. With past choices including The Smith’s The Queen is Dead, Alanis Morissette’s You Oughta Know, and music from Neil Young, the eclectic choice of albums unites speakers drawn from a wide range of backgrounds.

More than just a forum for storytelling, however, the events pay homage to the tracks musically. With performers playing live covers of songs from the record, the evening brings to life some of the most iconic tunes from recent decades.

This month, Record Club will pay tribute to the science-fiction-inspired album by David Bowie, The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. Fittingly staged inside the H.R. MacMillan Space Centre, the night will start with a communal listening party, before segueing into the speakers’ discussions and live music performances in the Planetarium Star Theatre.

Bowie’s album is consistently considered one of the greatest LPs of all time. Telling the story of the singer’s alter ego, Ziggy Stardust—a rock star who acts as a messenger for alien life—the album’s release was groundbreaking in its exploration of sexuality, gender fluidity, and social commentary. Gathering even greater recognition in the wake of the Starman’s death, the Record Club’s choice to bring the performer’s music to Vancouver’s Space Centre is both poignant and timely.

A new take on the classic “album listening party”, Record Club events have a tendency of selling out fast—so grab your tickets while you can.

Record Club is at the H.R. MacMillan Space Centre on Thursday (November 17). Check out the group’s Facebook page for more details, or head to Eventbrite to buy tickets. Have a look at the group's website here.