April 10, 2009
New record store shakes up Adams Street
BY Kate Giammarise
There’s a comfy-looking, beat-up red couch in one corner, and crates of records lined up along the wall for easy browsing.
A Burning Brides CD is playing over the sound system.
A quick glance through what’s in stock shows everything from Bob Marley, Rancid, the Sex Pistols, Fiona Apple and Pennywise to Mariah Carey.
Welcome to Shakin’ Street Records, where one local business owner is hoping he can overcome a poor economy and a tough market for independent music stores.
The venture, located at 1503 Adams St., opened at the end of January, a new addition to Toledo’s Uptown neighborhood.
Owner Broc Curry lives nearby on 16th Street.
"I’ve always really liked this area," he said. "It has been great to see it blossom over the last couple of years." The Uptown Adams Street corridor, which links Downtown and the artsy Old West End neighborhood, is home to several popular bars and restaurants, such as Wesley’s, Manhattan’s, Mano’s and the Ottawa Tavern.
Curry said he hopes having a record store will encourage other small businesses, such as a bookstore or coffee shop, to locate nearby.
Shakin’ Street sells mostly used CDs, as well as vinyl records. Curry said he also wants to focus on special orders for customers - "the things they can’t find at Best Buy," he said.
Part of what the store sells is really the record store experience.
"I feel like this is the kind of place where you can browse, not just rush in and pick something up," said Ian Robedeau, a clerk at the store.
Curry is undaunted by a weak economy and slowing music sales. "So far, I haven’t seen a lot of issues with [the economy]." We’ve had a lot of people in here every day."
Curry said he believes music fans will support a local business such as his.
"I do think these kind of places can definitely flourish," he said.
"I would encourage people to come in, hang out, even just browse."
Many independent record stores have struggled in recent years because of low prices offered at big box retailers, and the growing number of music buyers doing their shopping online.
However, "an independent music store, if they do it right, cater to the community and have a deeper selection can be successful," said Joel Oberstein, president of the Almighty Institute of Music Retail, a music market research company based in Los Angeles. While running an independent store is a challenge, many successful smaller stores have done well by selling used CDs and vinyl, as Shakin’ Street is.
In Ohio, there are 580 total music retailers, of which 81 are independently owned. In Michigan, there are 521 music retailers, of those, 55 are independently owned, according to Oberstein.
"[Independent store owners] have to be savvy business people at this point," he said. "You can’t just be a music lover who opens a store,"
Stacy Jurich, executive director of Toledo Choose Local, a non-profit group that promotes the benefits of buying locally, said supporting independent businesses with consumer dollars is an important way of making an investment in the community.
"When people go to [big-box retailers] to buy their music and books, they are jeopardizing our opportunity to have a unique shopping experience and sending their dollars straight out of Toledo," Jurich wrote in an e-mail interview. "Independent businesses like Shakin’ Street Records are here because they care about Toledo, they want to improve the culture and viability of the Uptown District, they want people around here to have a cool place to shop for music that isn’t a giant box that you find in every other city in America."
Rob Kimple, who owns RamaLama Records near Central Avenue and Secor Road in the Cricket West plaza, said the music lovers who patronize independents like his believe in supporting local stores, and often want to hold the product in their hands — which obviously isn’t possible when buying music online.
He said he believes the store caters to serious music fans, while more causal listeners probably get their music elsewhere.
"The people that come in here, music is akin to food to them," Curry said.
Shakin’ Street Records is located at 1503 Adams St., (419) 724-3333, www.shakinstrecords.com.
Used CDs range from 99 cents to $8.99 and vinyl from $1 to 10 for $5. All used CDs are guaranteed.
Permission granted by copyright holder for this express use only.
Article List
• November 21, 2013 - New York Times - Records Are Dying? Not Here• March 27, 2013 - Glendale News-Press - It's a matter of record: Burbank's Atomic Records and Backside
• December 30, 2012 - Detroit News - As one record shop closes, vinyl music plays on in another
• April 20, 2012 - Boston.com - New vinyl album releases give record stores a kick
• November 20, 2011 - Salon.com - In an iTunes age, do we need the record store?
• June 9, 2011 - NJ.com - Curmudgeon Records closes its doors for good
• April 16, 2011 - Wall Street Journal - One-Day Record-Store Revival
• February 1, 2011 - Charlottesville News & Arts - Plan 9 Changes Location
• August 13, 2010 - The Tennesean - Anita Wadhwani: Nashville indie record stores' sales spin in right direction
• January 3, 2010 - Delaware News Journal - Delaware music shops get creative to compete with downloads, chain music stores
• September 24, 2009 - Los Angeles Times - L.A. independent record shop is still in a groove
• August 20, 2009 - CNN Money - You can make money off online music
• June 14, 2009 - New York Times - Retailing Era Closes With Music Megastore
• May 13, 2009 - Medill Reports - Resurgence in vinyl helps record store in recession
• April 26, 2009 - Los Angeles Times - In a digital age, vinyl albums are making a comeback
• April 18, 2009 - Charlotte Observer - Record stores band together
• April 17, 2009 - Detroit News - Record Store Day spins profits and good beats at Metro Detroit shops
• April 17, 2009 - Associated Press - Record Store Day celebrates indie retailers
• April 10, 2009 - Detroit News - Street Corner Music moving to Oak Park plaza
• April 10, 2009 - Toledo Free Press - New record store shakes up Adams Street
• January 8, 2009 - OC Register - Closing date for Virgin Megastore at The Block
• October 28, 2008 - Reuters - AC/DC back in "Black" with global smash
• September 23, 2008 - Chicago Daily Herald - Independent music stores haven't yet disappeared from suburbia
• June 23, 2008 - New York Times - For Tom Petty Fans, the True Sound of Vinyl, Also Captured on a CD
• April 19, 2008 - Lafayette Journal Courier - For some, record stores live on
• April 19, 2008 - New Jersey Star Ledger - It's Record Store Day. Play it again, Sam!
• April 18, 2008 - New York Times - Record Stores Fight to Be Long-Playing
• April 18, 2008 - Dallas Morning News - Retailers hope Record Store Day turns up volume at mom-and-pop shops
• April 16, 2008 - Timeout New York - Platter Up
• December 27, 2007 - Los Angeles Times - Virgin Megastore to close shop
• December 16, 2007 - New York Times - For a "Dinosaur," an Exuberant Second Life (Looney Tunes Reopens)
• December 3, 2007 - Detroit Free Press - The same old song: Music store closing
• November 7, 2007 - Washington Post - Eagles soar past Britney to top of charts
• November 4, 2007 - The Ledger - Two Young Entrepreneurs Unafraid of Risk of Going on Records
• August 20, 2007 - Billboard - Almighty Taps Hans As VP
• June 29, 2007 - ABC News - Long Live the Record Store
• June 28, 2007 - Orange County Weekly - Locals Only
• June 13, 2007 - Reuters - McCartney's Starbucks album heats up U.S. charts
• June 9, 2007 - Billboard - Commentary: Retail Recovery
• May 9, 2007 - Columbia Free Times - High Fidelity
• March 22, 2007 - NARM Awards - Almighty Retail Named NARM Related Supplier Finalist For Third Consecutive Year
• March 16, 2007 - Chortler - Shout! Factory Has Revamped Its Website
• March 9, 2007 - PhillyBurbs.com - Internet killed the record store?
• March 4, 2007 - Sacramento Bee - New groove for Solomon
• February 28, 2007 - USA Today - Exclusives aim to pull music fans into stores
• February 28, 2007 - New York Newsday - Latin record shops thrive despite changes in music business
• February 23, 2007 - Montpelier Bridge - Buch Spieler Sails On Despite a Music Industry Decline
• November 20, 2006 - Austin 360 - In Austin, Niche Indies Rule
• October 20, 2006 - Sacramento Bee - Tower brand could survive
• October 15, 2006 - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review - Tables have turned on record stores
• October 14, 2006 - Sacramento Bee - Small labels lose valuable ally in Tower
• October 6, 2006 - Desert Sun - Record Alley remodels
• September 27, 2006 - Music & Copyright - Niche Marketing of CD albums continues to rise in the US and Physical Sales overall decline
• September 22, 2006 - CNN.com - Indie stores confront a new era
• September 19, 2006 - New York Newsday - 34 years, and that's not all, folks
• August 18, 2006 - The Roanoke Times - Plan 9 Music puts new spin on 5 Record Exchange stores
• August 3, 2006 - The Hollywood Reporter - Nervous music retailers face hazy digital future
• July 16, 2006 - New York Times - The Graying of the Record Store
• July 13, 2006 - Rolling Stone - The iTunes Holdouts
• July 11, 2006 - Roanoke Times - Record store's "last dance"
• July 5, 2006 - Port Townsend and Jefferson County Leader - Quimper Sound moves, expands to change with times
• June 6, 2006 - Billboard - NARM Nominations Announced
• May 10, 2006 - Detroit MetroTimes - Out of the Groove
• March 18, 2006 - Billboard - Indies in a bind
• January 16, 2006 - Los Angeles Business Journal - Slipped Discs
• January 6, 2006 - Los Angeles Times - Indie record stores doing slow fade out
• December 26, 2005 - Los Angeles Times - The Music Stops for Indie Shop
• December 1, 2005 - Rolling Stone - Fall Sales Dry Up
• October 13, 2005 - Desert Sun - Music snobs rejoice: Independent record stores still thrive in desert
• September 12, 2005 - Salt Lake Tribune - Twilight for Starbound Records
• August 18, 2005 - New York Post - Oldies are now singing a new tune - Music stores go digital
• July 2005 - Rolling Stone - Record Biz Still Sinking
• June 18, 2005 - Billboard - NARM Noms Announced
• March 21, 2005 - CMJ - Hart of the Matter
• February 16, 2005 - MSN - Genius Loves Company
• October 12, 2004 - Rolling Stone - Wal-Mart wants $10 CDs
• July 10, 2004 - Billboard - Almighty Institute To The Rescue
• January 14, 2004 - Creative Loafing Charlotte - Manifest Destiny
• December 29, 2003 - New York Times - on the rise of mass marketers
• November 13, 2003 - Rolling Stone - Best Buy snags rights to band's new DVD
• October 9, 2003 - USA Today - Best Buy wins sales rights to Rolling Stones DVD box set
• October 6, 2003 - Reuters - Stones Paint It Black For Retailers
• May 31, 2003 - Billboard - Retail Track
• May 9, 2003 - Hits - Rerap
