Dayton, OH | Blind Rage Records to close, leaves lasting mark on Dayton music scene: ‘Other people picked up the slack and saw that this is just a thing you can do.’ Blind Rage Records—a DIY hub for Dayton’s punk and hardcore scene—will close March 22, owner Gwen Downing-Groth announced on social media. “Thank you to everyone that ever came to the shop, bought records, traded records, sold us records, shared laughs, cried with us, moshed with us, truly f— lived with us,” she wrote in the post. “Blind Rage was always about being for the community and I still feel it was a massive success and take an immense amount of pride in all we accomplished over the past (just shy of) six years.” Blind Rage will throw live and in-store events throughout the month, sending off the shop in true DIY, indie and punk fashion. This includes a stacked show Saturday, March 21—with many familiar faces from previous bills—followed by a quiet denouement on its final day.
Buffalo, NY | Black Dots Records & Bar, with Live Music in the “Garage Room.” It takes a lot to surprise me these days. But just the other night I came across an unexpected occurrence that really made me happy. It was Saturday, and my buddy and I decided to head out to have a couple of beers. We started off at one of my favorite bars—Turning Bridge Tavern in Back Rock. From there, we headed to Gypsy Parlor to get some food. At around 10:30pm, we decided to call it a night, and began walking to the car. As we passed by Black Dots Records & Bar, I noticed that they were still open, as people were still browsing the rows of vinyl. And that’s when I remembered that there was in fact, a bar in the back of the record shop. Not only was there a bar, there was also a performance area in the far back “garage room.”
Seattle, WA | Sub Pop Records leaving Denny Triangle for Seattle’s waterfront: The age-old independent record label Sub Pop Records, based in Seattle, will relocate from its Denny Triangle store to Seattle’s waterfront on April 1. Sub Pop announced it will move to a 2,688-square-foot store inside the nearly 115-year-old Maritime Building at 908 Alaskan Way for its new Sub Pop Waterfront location. A sign was posted in the window of the label’s former Amazon re:Invent tower space, a building on Amazon’s campus that houses 5,000 employees, indicating it was “closing up shop” and heading South. The record label closed its store inside Amazon’s re:Invent tower on March 8 after five years in the space, according to The Puget Sound Business Journal.
Everett, WA | Apollo Exos, hub for brews and tunes, will expand: When Sotirios Rebelos started collecting records again, he couldn’t stop himself. As a kid, vinyl was an integral part of his life. But when he got busier as an adult and slowed down his record buying, he realized he missed that aspect of his life—something he said kept him in focus. The next thing he knew, he was scrolling through online forums and buying entire collections from people as he built up a massive catalog of records on his own. “I couldn’t stop,” Rebelos said. “And I’m like, might as well open up a record store.” Since it opened in August 2024, his shop, Apollo Exos Records—a beer bar and record shop in Everett’s downtown core—has become a hub for brews and tunes.
London, UK | The One Off Turns EuroShop Stand Into Record Store Experience: At EuroShop 2026 in Düsseldorf, retail design agency The One Off transformed its exhibition stand into a record store-inspired environment, using the concept to explore how physical retail can create moments of discovery, connection and engagement in an increasingly digital world. Held from 22–26 February, EuroShop is widely recognised as the world’s leading retail trade fair, bringing together brands, retailers and design studios to discuss the future of retail environments. For The One Off, the event provided an opportunity to showcase not only its work but also its perspective on how physical retail is evolving as technology continues to shape how customers search, browse and buy.
Bangkok, CN | 18 best record stores in Bangkok: Here’s where to find the best vinyl collections and dig for rare records across the city. …Unless you’ve been living under a digital rock, you’ll know that record shops in Bangkok are making a serious comeback. Communities for people who speak the same language, they’re where you’ll find vinyl lovers digging and poking through grooves new and old in search of a hot release or rare first pressing. From old-school institutions that have been around since your parents’ day to hidden underground spots brimming with character, the city’s vinyl scene is thriving in ways you might not expect. …We’ve rounded up the very best record shops across the city, from the well-loved classics to the newer spots making serious waves. Trust us, there’s enough here to keep any crate digger happy for hours.
San Antonio, TX | Gunter Hotel spins one-of-a-kind vinyl experience with curated record collection, vinyl ambassadors: For the record, Angie Semple from Canada had to stay at the historic Gunter Hotel in downtown San Antonio for just that. The record. “Do you want to know why we’re staying here?” the Ottawa resident said on a recent Friday evening in the luxe hotel’s lobby, hugging a record by Howlin’ Wolf and U2’s “The Joshua Tree.” “A high-level amount of that.” Semple nodded to a nearby alcove where a wall of walnut wood shelves housed hundreds of records. In front of it a young man ran a turntable at a gold mirror booth with a pair of slim black floor speakers. The music of the moment: 2025’s “Viaggio” by Nicola Conte, a jazzy collection of ’70s Italian library music. Semple was so drawn to the idea of enjoying vinyl at the Gunter she canceled her booking at another hotel just so she could indulge her inner audiophile at 205 E. Houston St.
Hong Kong, CN | Hong Kong vinyl bars spread analogue music culture by offering ‘a glimpse into the past.’ From a Japanese-style jazz cafe to a ‘relaxed’ DJ bar, these venues offer city revellers musical experiences ‘outside the algorithm.’ In an era when algorithms dictate the type of media we consume online, some young people are “going offline” as part of a new movement encouraging more intentional interactions with the arts. Vinyl bars have been popping up around Hong Kong as a result, catering to analogue enthusiasts looking to enjoy music the way it used to be before CDs and streaming. “I think different generations have different interpretations of the trend of going back to vinyl music,” says Andrew Wong Tsz-san, who opened Coda, a cafe-bar inspired by Japan’s jazz kissa establishments, in Sai Ying Pun with two friends in June 2024. Jazz kissa are a type of cafe where drinks are accompanied by jazz records playing in the background.
Colorado Springs, CO | Turn back time with The Colorado Springs Record Show: Records, vinyls, and cassettes are a blast from the past. But this weekend, all the nostalgia is coming to The Antler Hotel as that’s the site for this year’s Colorado Springs Record Show. There will be 104 tables and 55 vendors with free parking for all attendees. The event is from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and tickets may be purchased at the door. Event organizer Christoper Davis and vendor Michael Skattebo joined Loving Living Local host Justin Antweil to discuss details on this oldie but goodie event. “Music from vinyl and records is just so authentic and pure,” said Davis. “This is a great way to connect with like-minded people, shop, participate in games, and raffles.”
Orlando, FL | Tin Roof hosts a Vinyl Fest for Orlando crate-diggers this weekend: Vendors from all around Florida will be there. Sure, the big record and CD show at the Fairgrounds has come and gone, but don’t let that distract you from another chance at serious crate-digging. The Tin Roof at Icon Park is hosting a Vinyl Fest this weekend with plenty of vendors slinging the platters that matter (of both the analog and compact-disc variety), plus there will be live music happening on the Tin Roof’s stage to soundtrack your agonized and impulse buys alike. 11 a.m. Saturday, March 14, Tin Roof, 8371 International Drive, tinrooforlando.com, free.
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