(WBBM NEWSRADIO) – This weekend, customers at Joe's Barbershop in Logan Square were treated to a vinyl sale, one drummed up by local DJ Steven Berry, who runs Roger’s Records. In addition to getting a clean trim, clientele could also walk out with some fresh wax.
“It’s a good opportunity to sell some records, give a good experience to the customers,” Berry said.
He has been organizing and holding pop-up sales with Joe’s Barbershop for about a year, and has enjoyed the response they have gotten.
“I’m surprised by how many folks love to double up that experience and get a trim and then walk out with a few Talking Heads records,” Berry said.
Berry, a self-described “music-obsessed” person, originally started as an avid music collector. When the collection continued to grow, his wife suggested he sell some of his records.
“I thought, ‘Well, I can sell some of these. But you know what would be even more fun is to buy up a whole bunch of new ones, put those into the inventory and make a store,’” he said.
About two years ago is when Berry started his store Roger’s Records. While Berry’s collection has actually been growing instead of shrinking, as his wife may have hoped, she has been patient as he continues to grow the business and make sales.
The event on Sunday, though, was more than a great way to make some sales; it allowed for one vintage medium to support a local vintage experience.
“It’s been good to expose people, to kind of share with them, Joe’s,” Berry said. “It’s one of those shining examples of great vintage barber shops in Chicago not everyone knows.”
Berry organized Sunday's pop-up as we approach Record Store Day on April 20, an annual national event celebrated by independent vinyl shops to encourage listeners to support their neighborhood music retailers and pick-up some rare physical media.
Be sure to check out WBBM’s social media pages as we continue to cover what some area record stores are doing to prepare for it in the coming weeks.
For those who missed Sunday’s event, Berry said another will be taking place on May 19.
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