Local record store owner recalls Cold War Kids connection to Long Beach

LONG BEACH, Calif. (KABC) -- Rand Foster has owned Fingerprints Music in Long Beach for 27 years. There are plenty of artists from Long Beach that he has met over the decades, but for Foster, nothing compares to the indie rock group, Cold War Kids.

"Cold War Kids really captures, for me, the spirit of Long Beach," Foster said.

Cold War Kids formed in 2004 and relocated from Orange County to Long Beach in 2008. The group frequented Fingerprints Music, before the store moved from its Belmont Shore location to Downtown Long Beach. The group eventually recorded a live album, called "Live from Fingerprints," at the record store that year.

"The cover photo (of the CD) is the staff at the old store at the time," Foster said. "The fact that they were willing to not make this record about them, and made it about us, speaks volumes to who they are."

Foster said that Cold War Kids has always cared about the community in Long Beach, a sentiment that is shared among most local artists.

"There's a little bit of Long Beach pride that runs through. I think when people are from Long Beach, they tend to nurture each other," said Foster. "It's truly a community, and I know that word gets used a lot, but I think Long Beach really lives up to it."

Fingerprints Music is located at 420 E 4th St, Long Beach, CA.