Depending on when you were born, your first steps into Craft & Vinyl — located at 1806 W. 5th Ave. — may seem reminiscent of those times when your parents took you to the candy or toy store as a child. After the initial steps into the business, you can see The Rolling Stones and Kiss-themed pinball machines sticking out on the right side, creating a childlike atmosphere. What brings the nostalgia full circle, though, is a wall of mainly used, some new vibrant-colored vinyl.
Where the toy store analogy starts to lose its traction is the left side of Craft & Vinyl’s entrance, where a five-seat bar serving popular craft beers such as Rhinegeist rests. With fair drink prices, it’s not a ridiculous venture to walk out of Craft & Vinyl with a few records and a couple of drinks on your tab. If you’re looking to nab a few used records, you won’t be breaking the bank either. If you do have some extra change, make sure to check out the new records located on the wall above the used records and some turntable displays. For the adult record devotees, the perfect palette of pleasure and shopping may just be in Grandview.
Like most record stores you’ll walk in, the walls are covered in posters. In Craft & Vinyl’s case, fluorescent concert handbills from adored Columbus venues are the wallpaper. Whether you’re staring at memories of shows you’ve been at or ruffling through records to unearth that perfect used record steal, be prepared to spend some time peering through Craft & Vinyl’s collection. Although the vinyl isn’t specifically categorized, the space is optimal for diligent crate diggers. So order a cold one and take your good ‘ole time finding that record score.
And that’s just starting to scratch the surface of the full experience this new enterprise has to offer. Calling it solely a record store or watering hole would be doing Craft & Vinyl a huge disservice because it also serves as a stop for creating music. There’s no hiding the abundance of breweries and vinyl stops in Columbus, but combining all of these experiences into one is definitely a new, unique concept in our city, a concoction that no Columbus business has imagined brewing up.
One of the two unique services that Craft & Vinyl provides is studio sessions. Ranging from two to eight hours in duration and $60 and $225 in price, the suites are a perfect place for DIY artists to jump off or stretch their wings. The sessions also require users to have a working knowledge of digital audio workstation Studio One. Studios also come equipped with guitars, microphones and a drum kit for an additional rental price. You can buy sessions ahead of time on Craft & Vinyl’s website.
And it doesn’t stop there when it comes to what the Grandview business has to provide. Craft & Vinyl has also been providing an abundance of opportunities for local musicians to take the stage and perform at another local venue. Although the store is closed on Sundays and Mondays, it offers $4 pints on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, happy hour until 6 p.m. and live music or comedy on Thursdays and Fridays and 20 percent off used vinyl and live music from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays. With additional showcases that include vinyl analysis and open mic comedy, the one-stop music shop is shaping up to be just that.
Craft & Vinyl isn’t a bar, toy store or record store. It’s probably not any type of store at all but more of a destination for music to be consumed, played and most importantly enjoyed. If you’re curious about music in any medium and want to channel that inner child for an hour or so, Craft & Vinyl is a place you should give the time to explore.
Craft & Vinyl has upcoming live music shows on November 15, 17, 23 and December 7, live, comedy open mic on December 5 and a Black Friday Record Store Day weekend celebration on November 29-30. You can see more information on the events on Facebook.
