It’s no secret that music has been in retrograde for the past few years, and an apparent rise in vinyl record sales has helped the businesses catering to dedicated music lovers succeed in reaching younger generations.
This paradigm downshift from digital to analog media has given a business opportunity to many stores, both national and local. Hastings Entertainment, Barnes & Noble and Urban Outfitters carry an admirable selection of both records and record players.
Along with the big names in product entertainment, the resurgence of vinyl has produced a significant boost in local music shops — seemingly on their last legs only five years ago.
For Baton Rouge locals, one of the few places to turn for a hi-fi fix is getting a face lift. The Atomic Pop Shop, located on Government Street, will expand to accommodate the growing number of customers who patron the shop both in-store and online.
Kerry Beary, an avid lover of all things entertainment, opened the Atomic Pop Shop in May 2011.
The shop touts a wide range of music choices, with an area devoted to Beary’s personal artwork and a variety of vintage pinball games.
Beary said the Atomic Pop Shop will expand by 1,400 square feet. The extra room is coming from a block-wide renovation of Government Street, known as “Model Block.” The expansion and renovation is expected to be complete by fall 2014.
The Model Block program is a massive reworking of the 2900 block of Government Street, allowing the Atomic Pop Shop to broaden it’s minimal parking space. Beary said she is excited for the shop’s growth and hopes it will meet people’s expectations.
“We’ll be able to provide a more spacious performance area as well as room for our other vintage inventory: furniture, vintage lighting and décor, more of my work including a studio space, vintage electronics and a workshop space to test and repair our jukeboxes and record players,” Beary said. “It is our goal to be the one-stop pop shop in Baton Rouge. We’ll always be more than just a record store.”
The Atomic Pop Shop is located at 2963 Government St.
“It is our goal to be the one stop Pop Shop in Baton Rouge.”

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Trey McGlothin