Today we’d like to introduce you to Jonathan Blanchard.
Hi Jonathan, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
JB’s began as a monthly crate-digging event in my home basement with my friends and about 600 records. It was a lot of fun but soon became to big for my “man cave” that once served as a car garage. A year later I was able to convince a friend to let me occupy a 560sft shipping & receiving room in the back of his coffee shop in the West End. This space quickly became a “hang out spot” for my friends and their friends. We hosted various parties, concerts, and DJ events,……oh, and we also sold vinyl records lol. As COVID took its toll on small businesses, the coffee house shut its doors, and so did we. Now in limbo, we maintained by participating in “pop-up shop” events. I was finally able to open the doors once again on March 26, 2022, with money I had saved over the previous 2 years, the help of friends, and the other 2 black-owned stores in the area (DBS Sounds & Moods Music). We are now home to Visual Artists, DJ Crews, Performers, and all sorts of events.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
NO, the first space had no visibility, making us dependent upon the coffee house informing folks that we were in the back. Though we have a much better location, getting the word out that we exist is still a challenge.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am a full-time, working musician. I am a soul singer, and arts integration/youth outreach has been a big part of my career. My Store is a direct reflection of the music I have performed and/or have a love for. What sets our store apart is the amount of space we have set aside for live concerts and performances.
How do you think about happiness?
Discovery seeing someone discover vinyl for the first time or rediscover a memory sparked by an album cover.
Pricing:
- We have a significant amout of $1 singles
Contact Info:
- Website: www.jbsrecordlounge.com
- Instagram: @jbsrecord
- Facebook: jbsrecordlounge
- Twitter: JBsRecord
- Other: https://giggster.com/listing/vintage-record-shop-performance-stage-wt-sound
Image Credits
John Stephens
