Blue Canary Records

Blue Canary Records in downtown Columbus is built as more than a bin room: records, vintage clothing, memorabilia, arcade games, and local performances all share the same space. Brian's answers explain how that mix came from thinking carefully about what kind of record store Columbus needed.

Interview with Blue Canary Records

Blue Canary reads like stepping through a portal - records, vintage clothes, memorabilia, arcade games, and a live-performance space with drums and a piano. How did the shop become all of that?

Blue Canary Records started from a very simple concept: What kind of Records Store does Columbus need? After deciding to open a record store, I did a lot of market research and zeroed in on who the customer base would be. Many of the decisions to develop the store into what it is came from that question. I was lucky enough to find the right location at the right time, which enabled me to make space for live music.

Local artists occasionally perform right in the store. How central is being a live venue to what you're building in downtown Columbus?

It's extremely important to me because there aren't a lot of venues for artists or performers who haven't had a lot of opportunity to be in front of an audience. There are already venues for established performers in town.

Your bins run country, jazz, R&B, and rock across records, CDs, and tapes. What does the Columbus crowd reach for most?

Columbus is surprisingly diverse in its Music taste. I enjoy getting recommendations on what to bring into the record store and try to find those special records that people are looking for.

Reviewers keep mentioning the shop cat - Birdie - and the warm, welcoming vibe. How much is that atmosphere part of the shop's identity?

I felt like having a shop cat at my Broadway. Location added to the Relaxed ambience. Birdie was an excellent companion in the store and was a very popular employee.

People come in every other week just to see what's new. How do you keep the bins turning over?

I make an effort to buy records from my distributors as well as from Local and regional sellers. I believe it's important to refresh the selection so that even regular browsers will see something new each time they come into the store.

You mix vintage clothing and memorabilia with the vinyl. How do those sides play together?

In my current location at the Vibe on 6th, The vendors that sell their vintage clothing and I understand that our customer bases overlap. People who are savvy about vintage clothing are also probably going to understand the value of buying Records and CDs.

When someone wants to sell records, what's the best way to start - and what makes a collection an easy yes?

I started with a small collection of used records, no more than a thousand. I made an effort to make sure that the Records I was looking for were what my customer base wanted. It took some time to engage in that dialogue as I sold more records, I was able to curate what I was buying in order to tailor A positive browsing and buying experience. What I'm looking for when I buy for the store, especially when looking at used Records, is whether or not they are in good shape physically- "gently loved", As I like to call them. Beyond that, I try to listen to what people are asking for and bring in the genres or specific artists. I know people will buy.

First visit to Blue Canary - what should someone dig through first?

Our New Stuff bin is a pretty good place to start.

Last updated: 2026-08-08