Pop Shop Records celebrated their grand opening Saturday afternoon, featuring live music, food and, of course, records.
The shop was packed with an assortment of vinyl records. One could find music of any genre, with artists ranging from Cage The Elephant to Pink Floyd.
People were lining up to buy records and even record players. Attendee Lauren Spillmon said she had been considering purchasing a record player for some time, and the shop’s grand opening provided her with the perfect opportunity to finally do so.
“I’ve always wanted to get a record player, and after coming here, I finally talked myself into it,” Spillmon said. “I bought a few albums, too, and I can’t wait to go home and set it all up. I’ll definitely be coming here a lot in the future.”
Located at 2963 Government St., Pop Shop Records was formerly named Atomic Pop Shop. Co-owners Charlotte Smith and Kevin Sweeney want to keep the same vibe as the old store but be more involved with the community.
The event kicked off at noon with a blessing by the Rev. Tommy Dillon and a sage cleansing. At 2 p.m. the stage welcomed vocalist and guitarist Christina Ocmand.
Store majority-owner Smith took the stage to deliver a teary-eyed speech, thanking her partner Sweeney, friends and the community for their support.
“The outpouring [of support] has just been overwhelming,” Smith said.
Smith welcomed FrostBite to the stage at 3 p.m. The young cover band played a variety of songs, opening with Vance Joy’s “Riptide” and transitioning to an array of classic rock.
The Rakers came on at 4 p.m., with Smith joining them to sing. The band played until the event wrapped up at 6.
Pop Shop Records is the headline sponsor for Baton Rouge Gallery’s Movies and Music on the Lawn.
“We wanna have more collaborations with the city,” Smith said, “so we’re collaborating with Baton Rouge Gallery in a pretty big way. That’s something that’s important to us.”
Smith and Sweeney want to use their space for local musicians to gather once a month to openly discuss their music. Smith said she hopes the store will become a safe, kind environment for others to showcase their work.
“We want to make it a little bit more than just a record store,” Sweeney said. “We’re out to support the community and the arts. We want to make Mid City and Baton Rouge a place where people want to be.”
Smith said she wants to add books to the store’s inventory in the near future — not only music-related books, but ones written by local authors as well.
“We sell stuff by local musicians — why not stuff by local authors?” Smith said.
Smith and Sweeney agreed the support they’ve received from the community is beyond their expectations.
“I’ve had a lot of dreams where only seven people show up to this,” Smith said. “The support has just been completely overwhelming. It’s been wonderful.”
Pop Shop Records opens on Government Street on Saturday, June 2, 2018.
