Nintendo and Neil Young is not a predictable mix, but that’s exactly what you’ll find in the Village with the opening of Village Green Records on Thursday.
Owner Jared Cheek, 23, graduated from Taylor University with a degree in business management, but he may be better recognized in Muncie for his efforts in the local indie rock band Everything, NOW! Cheek’s idea was not to open a record store to promote his band, though selling his band’s records is now easier because he owns a record store, he said.
“[Opening a record store] was just something I always wanted to do for a long time,” he said. “I really like music a lot.”
Muncie was in need of a good independent record store, Cheek said, adding that he and his friends used to travel to Indianapolis in search of the music they wanted.
Village Green Records sells new and used compact discs and vinyl records, as well as collectables such as 8-Tracks and trading cards.
Village Green Records also features The Nintendo Lounge, which is plastered with vintage magazine ads, offering patrons a place to rest on a sectional and play more than 50 classic Nintendo Entertainment System video games. Customers can also watch movies on DVD or VHS and can even bring in food to make them feel at home, he said.
“It’s good to have a local place for you to hang out,” he said, adding that he plans to hold acoustic shows behind the record shop after he has everything in place.
Cheek decided to move back to his native Muncie after college to find a job. When he found the small white house north of the Village for rent, he said he thought it would be a good location for a business.
Debt accumulated from college loans didn’t sway Cheek from starting up Village Green Records.
“I worked all through high school and saved all that money. From teaching last semester, I saved a lot of that,” he said. “I haven’t taken out any loans or anything; I just do what I can, and hopefully business picks up.”
Cheek is even frugal with the storefront’s artwork. Cheek’s bandmate, Jon Rogers, paints the signs for free with 30 variety packs of small pastel paint tubes that Cheek bought last year at Meijer with a gift certificate, he said.
If Cheek needs to, he will do substitute teaching in the area like he did last Spring, so he can pay bills, he said. Cheek is unsure if he would tell the students that he is in a band and owns a record shop.
“I don’t know if it would be kinda lame or not, but if it comes up, I’d definitely let ‘em know,” he said.
Rogers also posts his “Pick of the Day” for Cheek’s store — the picks are usually what he is listening to that day and recommends to customers, Cheek said.
Rogers is currently working on new songs and demos for Everything, NOW!’s full-length album due out this winter, he said.
Everything, NOW!’s seven-inch recording will be released by Standard Recordings in the fall, he said. Both albums will be available at Village Green Records, he said.
Cheek said he is not going to favor or promote his band over other local artists because of the advantage he has. Local bands can bring in their music to sell and promote, he said.
“We [local bands] can help each other out,” he said. “There’s a lot of good things going on that you may not ever realize.”
Cheek said he does not have a “big agenda” with his independent record store. He said he hopes his record store will open up the minds of music enthusiasts by getting them to listen to more than what is on the radio, and he encourages people to start their own bands.
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