Grand Opening - Studio Records
With Apple Music, Spotify, Rdio and other streaming services available purchasing music seems to be a thing of the past . . . like vinyl. However, in a full circle motion, streaming services have now created a market for vinyl again among collectors and music lovers. If you like an album you’ll stream it, if you love it you’ll buy it on vinyl for the act of listening to music. You aren’t choosing between mediums, you’re streaming and you’re buying vinyl . . . or at least we are.
But what if there was a place where you could browse records, drink a beer, and listen to live music? Studio Records has just opened up on Granville Street in Vancouver, and they are here to do just that. Records and a bar upstairs, live music and a bar downstairs, sounds like a perfect combination.
Their attention to detail is staggering. From the audio booth/keg storage area, to the vintage Spiderman episodes playing on all screens, everything within this building feels deliberate. Upstairs you can parooze the records with a beer in hand and look over the balcony to the live music below. Basically, when it comes to atmosphere, they nailed it.
When it comes to records, they’re doing ok. The quality of records is high, but the volume was a little less than expected. Once again the display is great, attention to detail is remarkable, I just wish they had more records. That being said they did cover off large and varying selection of music, everything from the golden oldies, old school rock, 90's hip hop and rap, to our modern indie favourites they seeem to have their bases covered. Let's just say we didn't leave empty handed.
Downstairs local bands were rocking, people were dancing and it seemed that everyone was there to have a good time, so they did. No doubt we can look to Studio Records for being a prime location to listen to and promote local music. They already have a healthy line up for the summer for more information check out their facebook page, here.
Overall the experience was unexpected, strange, but good. We went for the records but we stayed for the live music, and yes we will be going again.