Once a fixture in nearly every Chicago neighborhood, independent record stores are disappearing. Less than a decade ago, a plethora of such shops lined Clark Street from Fullerton to Belmont Avenues. Today, only a handful exist. The emergence of online retailing and illegal downloading has proven toxic, as have the chains and big-box discounters that invaded in the early 1990s. Longtime area residents may remember how Rose Records seemed to vanish overnight as outfits such as Tower and Coconuts moved in.
But the city itself is being unaccommodating to the mom and pop record shops that help give its neighborhood retail districts pizazz and charm. In 2002, Ald. Gene Schulter (47th) passed an ordinance requiring any store trading in used CDs and DVDs to both demand photo IDs from sellers and document transactions. The amended code is intended to prevent crime, but many think it’s invasive, unconstitutional and unduly expensive — particularly the owners who mounted an unsuccessful court challenge in 2003. According to the ordinance, stores are asked to keep unsold for 10 days recently purchased used merchandise and allow that inventory to be available for police inspection. In addition to the standard $125 retail business license, shops must obtain a $550 secondhand dealer license. Fed up with fines and crackdowns, and already dealing with escalating rents and thin profit margins, many stores in the area — including Music Recyclery, Second Hand Tunes, Record Exchange and Disc Revival — closed.
Still, Chicago remains home to a number of small stores that have the character, service, expertise and selection that homogenized warehouses, chains and Web retailers lack.
Here are five such destinations, each located in various corners of the city and focused on different musical styles. Having survived this long, we hope they’ll be around for years to come, though you should plan to visit them sooner rather than later.
Beverly Records. 11612 S. Western Ave. 773-779-0066. www.beverlyrecords.com
Don’t be fooled by the barnlike roof and domestic red-brick exterior. Inside is an old-fashioned, family-run record store unlike any other in Chicago. Upon entering, you’ll immediately be greeted by the musty scent of old records. Once you walk past the front counter, row after row of used vinyl — more than 250,000 LPs, one million 45s and 75,000 78s — awaits. Full-length albums are stuffed in 5-foot-tall wooden bins. Below, 45s rest in drawers and boxes. This is where classic rock bands, easy-listening vocalists, country pickers, old-school R&B crooners and folkies get new leases on life. Most LPs sell for $5, so there’s no better place to start a library or fill in the gaps of a collection. For fun, wade through the treasure trove of 45s. Their multicolored labels shout the names of defunct but ageless record companies such as Stax, Roulette, Kent, and Cadet. Founded in 1967 by husband-and-wife John and Christine Dreznes, Beverly grew to four branches in the ’80s before the emergence of CDs forced the closure of all but its Southwest Side location (which does carry a few thousand CDs). According to the owners’ son Randy Dreznes, the dark days appear to be over. He credits the ongoing vinyl resurgence to young generations who are bored with CDs, and discovering the pleasures of the LP format’s large covers, dynamic fidelity and liner notes. Dreznes also says teenagers are hungry for secondhand turntables, which the store refurbishes and sells. Beverly is online, where it caters to Europe and its appetite for old Chicago soul 45s. But there’s no substitute for an in-person visit, which is as close as you’ll get to reliving the days of the dearly departed ALS Music Mart.
George’s Music Room. 3915 W. Roosevelt Rd. 773-762-8910. www.georgesmusicroom.com
The middle of George’s Music Room isn’t given over to the newest music releases. Instead, the space features a large table on which handbills and postcards advertising local artists and upcoming shows are neatly arranged and free for the taking. Nothing better symbolizes the store’s spirit, which is equally about music retailing and setting a positive example for the West Side neighborhood. Open since 1968, George Daniels’ urban outpost is nationally renowned in hip-hop and soul circles. Over the decades, Daniels has hosted in-store appearances by almost every big name in rap and R&B — Mary J. Blige, R. Kelly and Eminem to name but a few. It’s no surprise; the store exudes class and success. Red carpet lines the floor, sales trophies hang on walls, platinum and gold record plaques are everywhere. CDs and DVDs are displayed in cases, as are local compilations filled with tracks by future hopefuls. Shelves full of deejay vinyl snake around large bass-driven speakers. Having worked at the store for five years, Jeff Peoples says it offers area residents who normally wouldn’t have the opportunity a chance to get up-close with stars and discover new music. In addition to gaining the respect of community residents, George’s further represents Chicago’s local flavor with a second location at Midway Airport.
Groovin’ High. 1047 W. Belmont Ave. 773-476-6846.
There might not be a more inviting indie-music retailer in Chicago than Groovin’ High, a small, brightly lit nook that oozes homey warmth. As his only employee, owner Joe Bruce is there every day of the week. Despite the attendant challenges, he’s an ideal record-store proprietor — a music aficionado who’s conversational, helpful, knowledgeable and doesn’t flaunt a know-it-all attitude. Groovin’ High carries a stylistically diverse mixture of used and new CDs and DVDs, as well as a compelling array of boxed sets. It’s worth the trek to surf through the well-organized inventory of LPs. Bruce also stocks plenty of unexpected delights, be it a recent four-disc Wadada Leo Smith set or import compilation by African-music pioneer Franco. He’ll order any title he doesn’t have, and goes extra lengths to find albums that suit customers’ interests. In that you’ll likely go in and come out with something you didn’t know about, Groovin’ High is a classic throwback to the corner record shop of back in the day.
Jazz Record Mart. 25 E. Illinois St. 312-222-1467. www.jazzmart.com
When it comes to jazz and blues, nobody beats Jazz Record Mart. The internationally recognized store that recently relocated to a slightly smaller space around the corner from its Wabash Avenue location, yet still claims to be “the world’s largest Jazz and Blues Record Store.” Anyone who’s visited wouldn’t dare dispute the claim. The new site offers improved accessibility and organization, and there’s nothing different about the store’s unsurpassed selection or unpretentious staff. Jazz Record Mart caters to the enthusiast, carrying the complete output of seminal performers, both famous and obscure. New and used LPs jam racks and spill from boxes. T-shirts and posters emblazoned with black-and-white portraits of cigarette-puffing bluesmen, hypnotic saxophonists and larger-than-life big-band leaders hang from the walls. A giant case contains a country mile of boxed sets, including rare imports and out-of-print titles. The shop also spotlights releases from Chicago-based label Delmark Records, owned by Jazz Mart proprietor Bob Koester. He bought what was then Seymour’s Jazz Record Mart in 1959, along the way giving musicians and future industry professionals invaluable jobs, lessons and training. A forum for discussion and performances, Jazz Record Mart continues to be more than just a place to buy music.
Metal Haven. 604 W. Belmont Ave. 773-755-9202. metalhavenchicago.com
With a coat of armor and steel sword displayed in the window, there’s no mistaking Metal Haven for a Sam Goody. No bigger than a cozy living room, it’s packed with everything a headbanger could want. Metal Haven specializes in all types of heavy metal — death, black, doom, grindcore, stoner, British New Wave. Ominous-looking T-shirts dangle overhead, posters compete with denim patches for precious wall space, vinyl is scattered about the floor and music blares from speakers. Metal Haven’s main attraction is its erudite range of CDs and LPs, the majority of which come from small labels and underground artists. No other Chicago record store is as tapped into Europe’s thriving metal scenes and releases. Owner Mark Weglarz notes that running a one-man operation is difficult, particularly with the area’s rising rents. But he prefers his Lakeview location because of its proximity to Reckless Records, Metro, The Alley and hip clothing shops, knowing that suburban kids “congregate here on weekends, and all come through twice a year at one point or another. Whether they’re metalheads or not, they all know someone who is.”
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