GRAND RAPIDS, Michigan — Vinyl records are making a comeback. More than 43 million LPs were sold last year, according to the Recording Industry of America. Grand Rapids’ newest record store is hoping to capitalize on the trend.
“I opened a few Saturdays ago. I’ve loved records for a long time,” said shop owner Ben Newsted.
Boomtown Records just opened and the record store has more than 2500 LPs.
Newsted said: “Everyone seems to think I have a pretty good selection.”
Although the technology comes from a different time, people are still fascinated by this format.
“People still like the physical feel of the record. It’s nice and big. The album cover is cool and it sounds warmer than digital,” Newsted said.
The store is located on Plainfield Avenue and customers are happy to have a record store in the Creston neighborhood.
Customer Tim Luce said, “I’ve always been a huge music nerd, so record stores are sure to always have something for me.”
Newsted says he got the company name from a record store in Hastings that he visited as a teenager.
“I’m just a nostalgic guy, and this was a fantastic small-town store in the town I grew up in,” Newsted said.
Newsted says when people hear his last name is Newsted, they ask about his uncle, former Metallica bassist Jason Newsted. But he says the famous musician is not involved in the deal at all.
“Boomtown Records was only created through my hard work,” said Newsted.
He is excited to be a new business owner and is amazed at how quickly customers have discovered his new store.
“I’m still in shock. I think it’s a dream come true,” Newsted said.
Boomtown is open Wednesday through Sunday from 12pm to 6pm. Newsted says he’s getting new records in all the time and hopes to expand his sales to include video games in the future.
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