A new, spirited record store is set to open in Evanston at the end of September. Animal records will feature a variety of genres and artists and have a unique “circus”-like theme.
Located at 624 Grove St., the former location of the creative studio Music by AlexFrom now on, the store will sell records and even buy collections from customers, said owner Greg Allen.
Allen, 55, a longtime Evanston resident, said he has been an avid record collector since he was 13. He bought his first record at age 5 and developed a fascination and love for them. For more than 30 years, his dream has been to open a record store.
“Then I bought more records and then I just kept buying more records,” Allen said. “I have tens of thousands of records. I’m not even sure we can get them all in the store, but hopefully most of them will fit.”
With his youngest child heading off to college in the fall, Allen and his wife agreed it was finally time for Allen to live out that dream. He began leasing the space about a month ago.
Allen said he had worked in retail for a long time and managed bookstores for 10 years, and he felt it was time to become his own boss.
He chose the location because it is close to the Music Institute and Northwestern University, where he hopes the majority of his customers will come from. Since he is targeting mainly college students and young adults, he wants to open the store no later than the first week of classes, he said.
Large selection
The goal of the store is diversity, Allen said. He hopes the wide selection he will offer will set the store apart from the crowd.
“We’ll have the traditional stuff. A lot of people are looking for things like the Beatles and Queen and Led Zeppelin and Taylor Swift,” he said.
Allen added that Animal Records’ diverse offerings will include foreign music from Europe, Asia and South America. There will also be genres such as mountain music and bluegrass. A section will be devoted to local Evanston records from all decades. He also hopes to sell Chicago records locally, he said.
In addition to the wide selection, there will be different price points to ensure that customers can purchase both inexpensive records (under $10) and collectibles (several hundred dollars), Allen said.
“I don’t want anyone to come in and feel like they don’t belong if they like a certain kind of music, like disco or something,” he said. “I just wanted to be a very welcoming place for all kinds of music listeners, for people who are super knowledgeable about music and know what they like but don’t know a lot of different artists but are interested.”
A lively topic
Allen wants to make sure there is something for everyone and calls the store a
“No judgement zone.” He plans to make the space as cheerful as possible.
The inspiration behind the “Animal” part of the name comes from Allen’s love of animals, especially dogs and cats, and the character of the Muppets.
“He’s like my favorite Muppet. He’s a crazy drummer,” he said. “I try to use the same color schemes you see on Animal. I think he’s orange and bright pink and has big teeth.”
Figurines and statues of all kinds of animals will decorate the space, from ducks to rhinos, he said. There will also be a selection of “weird” modern and contemporary artwork. In addition to the records, he wants the art to be pieces that people can’t easily find anywhere else. The art will come from his personal collection, but hopefully later on will include local artists.
Allen said he wanted the space to have a positive atmosphere, “like a fair or a circus.”
Animal Records will also sell turntables and record players in a wide selection and price range.
“I want to be the person who shows younger people what makes collecting records so wonderful,” Allen said. “It’s a never-ending hobby. No matter how much you learn, you’ll never learn everything because there’s just so much great music out there.”
