We keep hearing about the bad place the record industry is in: people are buying less music than ever, the new generation wants to download records for free, labels are folding left and right. But Bric-a-Brac, a record store that just opened on the border of Logan Square and Avondale, is a hopeful sign that people may still want to pay for their music, at least in Chicago, and that given the chance they’ll do it in person—with any luck there are enough such people to support a bit of growth in the brick-and-mortar record business. The shop, run by former Lincoln Hall manager Nick Mayor and his wife, Jen Lemasters (a photo assistant at Threadless), specializes in new and used vinyl with a focus on garage and punk, and it will eventually host regular in-store performances. A grand-opening party on Sat 6/22 will feature live bands, local DJs, and a performance from an as-yet-unnamed air-guitar god. The shop is only open Wednesday through Sunday from noon to 8 PM, to accommodate the owners’ day jobs (Mayor works at the Wicker Park Bongo Room now), but given how much Chicago loves buying records, I figure those hours will get a lot more generous soon.
Best Sign That People Are Still Buying Records
Bric-a-Brac Records
