Music shopping in Chicago
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A
Tommy’s Rock & Roll Café
Located at the edge of Ukrainian Village, Tommy’s is hands-down the most rawkin’ guitar store in town. So grab a doughnut or a Polish sausage at the tiny front café, then strum (after you wash your hands!) the vintage axes in all their polka-dotted, snake-skinned, heart-shaped and Darth Vader-painted glory. Elvis impersonator photos, letters from Tom Petty, big-ass amps and a whole lot of handcuffs ratchet up the entertainment.
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B
Jazz Record Mart
You have to hunt for this place, but jazzheads, blues aficionados and vintage vinyl collectors seek it out, as it makes the short list of best records stores in the nation. You can spend hours fingering through the rows of dusty LPs or chatting up owner Bob Koester and his dedicated staff about local blues and jazz. Fans of Chicago blues should stop for a meaningful aural souvenir, especially from the shop’s boutique label, Delmark.
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C
Groove Distribution
Whenever you’re at a club, dancing to the beat, Groove is likely the source of the music. The company provides record stores around the world with downtempo, mashups, dubstep, nu jazz, cosmic disco and lotsa that Chicago specialty – house – both on vinyl and CD. You can shop right in their warehouse, which is exactly what discerning DJs do.
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D
Gramaphone Records
Gramaphone is one of the hippest record stores in Chicago – you’d have to either be a DJ or be dating a DJ to have heard of most of the hip-hop and electronic music sold here. Along with its collection of trendsetting sounds, Gramaphone offers record needles and DJ supplies, and a host of info on upcoming parties.
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E
Dave’s Records
With a splatter of colored vinyl decorating the back wall, Dave’s feels a little like the setting of Nick Hornby’s music-nerd classic, High Fidelity. CDs? Forget it. MP3s? Never heard of ’em. Dave’s doesn’t discriminate with genres, but it’s for vinyl purists only.
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F
Reckless Records
Chicago’s best indie-rock record and CD emporium allows you to listen to everything before you buy. It’s certainly the place to get your finger on the pulse of the local, au courant underground scene. There’s another outlet in the Loop at 26 E Madison St.
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G
Dusty Groove
Old-school soul, Brazilian beats, Hungarian disco, bass-stabbing hip-hop – if it’s funky, Dusty Groove (which also has its own record label) stocks it. Flip through stacks of vinyl, or get lost amid the tidy shop’s CDs. Be sure to check out the dollar bin.
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H
Rock Records
Don’t let the sometimes surly staff scare you away from this well-stocked independent record store, which has a good number of listening stations and a wide selection of pop, indie rock, hip-hop and country.
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