Record shopping to escape into an immersive rabbit hole of sound | Ayana Contreras
Vic Mensa at Hyde Park Records in 2018, buying vinyl from staffer Angel Elmore Perhaps on a spring day, when the falling water draws out the musky smell of earth and everything seems to be coming alive, or maybe in the fall, when the cold shards of rain feel more menacing than welcome—no matter the season, there’s no better place to be than a record store on a rainy Sunday afternoon.
He went on to share that one of Major Lance’s signature songs, 1963’s “The Monkey Time,” was inspired by an actual monkey that Major owned at the time. And this sort of thing is far from an isolated incident at Beverly Records: the 50-year-old far-south-side shop is known for attracting a colorful array of old-school local music notables. We in Chicago are blessed with myriad vinyl-centered shops, with enough variety to suit nearly every taste.
Or maybe you’re looking for a delectable selection of original vintage jazz and soul, with a surprising collection of Black studies books and ephemera? is right up your alley. Also, extra points because their reggae section smells like incense, years of nag champa smoke having permeated the cardboard sleeves.
Certainly a music fan could listen to a Spotify playlist and never risk confronting inclement weather, but there’s something desperately romantic about wandering aimlessly in a record shop, selecting a stack of pretty faces, and ultimately dropping the needle on a dusty new love on a rainy Sunday afternoon.Whoops! There was an error and we couldn't process your subscription. Please reload the page and try again.