Musicians and audiophiles will soon have a new place to congregate. Craft & Vinyl, Grandview’s new vinyl shop, recording studio and bar, will open its doors in mid-August.
It’s assumed the residence of the former Alternative Resale shop at 1806 W. Fifth Ave., but it’d be unrecognizable to any former customers. The space was “a total gut job,” says owner Troy Stacy. Rebuilt from the ground up, the old shop gained new electrical work and plumbing, and it’s got about four more feet of headspace.
It’s also traded in its casual and business women and menswear for cases of vinyl, each offering a few cup holders for buzzed record browsers. New vinyl is showcased on the wall, along with show posters designed by Mike Martin of local design studio Engine House 13.
While live music will be a core element, there’s no stage at Craft & Vinyl. Instead, Stacy says they’d be moving the tables and seats around to create intimate couch concerts, a concept he first came across in New York.
“We’re just going to bring the couches up and have the bands just kind of hangout and intimately perform,” he says. “I experienced that in New York City, and I was like, I’d love to import that back to Columbus, you know?”
The space will soon gain a couple other agents of entertainment: AC/DC and Metallica pinball machines.
The bar sits to the left of the entrance and holds up to eight taps of local and regional craft beer. It’s in close proximity to the Song Writers Recording Suite, the studio that Stacy says is the cornerstone of the business. Inside is a wall of Epiphone, Gibson and Fender guitars, along with a digital drum kit featuring 130 different drum sets.
After Craft & Vinyl’s official opening on or around August 15, a few programs will launch that highlight both craft beer and vinyl. Stacy will hand out digital download cards in partnership with Hales, a former disc jockey for 99.7 The Blitz who now has her own show, Hales On-Air. The card allows customers to download an album with songs from 13 local bands. When it’s brought back, it earns the guest happy hour pricing on certain beers all day, every day.
Craft & Vinyl will also join up with the Great Lakes Brewing Company to create a “pour and play experience.”
“You put the vinyl on, you drop the needle on a specific band, and then you’re encouraged while you’re listening to that particular band to try one of their particular beers,” Stacy says.
Craft & Vinyl will operate seven days a week: Monday through Thursday from 12 to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 12 to 10 p.m., and Sunday from 12 to 5 p.m. A corporate meeting space will also be available on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.
For more information, visit craft-n-vinyl.com.