2025 at The Vinyl Groove: A Year Worth Spinning Back
In November, we hit two milestones that made us pause and reflect.
One year in our Old Brooklyn location.
Eleven years as a record shop.
As we look back on 2025, we can’t express enough appreciation for the community that continues to support The Vinyl Groove. Every visit, every conversation, and every record played helped shape this year.
This year reinforced what we’ve always believed. Music connects people. Always has. And we’re grateful to be part of that connection.
Highlights from 2025
TVG in Atlanta and New Orleans
In 2025, TVG spent time on the road connecting with the broader music community. We attended the Music Biz Conference in Atlanta and traveled to New Orleans for Record Store Day Camp, where we met with labels, the RSD team, and independent record shop friends from around the country. These experiences strengthened our relationships and helped shape how we continue to grow as an independent shop.
Wax and Tracks
On September 20, 2025, we produced our first-ever vinyl and music festival, Wax and Tracks. What began as an idea became a full day centered around records, live music, and community.
Save the date: Wax and Tracks returns on September 19, 2026.
Music Business Panel
We hosted a Music Biz panel focused on how musicians can better monetize their art. The conversation centered on practical strategies, real-world experience, and the business side of building something sustainable as an artist.
David on the mic
David was featured on The Future of What podcast, sharing insights on independent music retail, the importance of quality, and what it takes to keep record stores relevant today.
https://musicbiz.org/news/the-future-of-what-episode-272-updates-on-indie-music-retail-from-the-vinyl-groove-records-the-sound-garden-and-zia-records/
Record Store Day, twice
From Record Store Day in April to Record Store Day Black Friday, these continue to be some of our favorite days of the year. New releases, early mornings, and a shop full of people who care deeply about music.
In-Store Listening Parties and Album Celebrations
Throughout 2025, the shop became a place to gather around new releases. We hosted listening parties and album celebrations featuring music from:
Babymetal
Benson Boone
Deftones
Florence + The Machine
Ghost
Hayley Williams
Jon Batiste
Laufey
Lord Huron
Neko Case
Peanuts
Sabrina Carpenter
Tame Impala
Tate McRae
Teyana Taylor
The Head and The Heart
The Hives
Twenty One Pilots
Tyler Childers
Wicked
Line wrapped around the building for Twenty-One Pilots listening party.
Ghost fans showed up and filled the shop wall to wall.
Live Music and Local Cleveland Talent
Supporting Cleveland artists is core to who we are.
In 2025, the shop hosted live performances across multiple events, including Wax and Tracks, Record Store Day Black Friday, and Small Business Saturday. We were proud to highlight local DJs and bands and give Cleveland talent a place to be heard.
Local performers included:
AWESOME*QUEST
Bomb The Twist
DJ Fuse
DJ Red-I
DJ SB
DJ Shonny Shon
DJ Vinnie G
Far From Famous
Lil Tatianna
Prince Tucker
The Flying Grey Suns
WaveMagnetik
Waylon Fingers
Prince Tucker performance during Record Store Day Black Friday + Small Business Saturday weekend
Guest Appearances
We were grateful to welcome special guest appearances from:
MGK
Raynes
Taylor Acorn
Meet and Greet with MGK
An intimate acoustic set from Taylor Acorn
Ticket Giveaways and Venue Friends
Supporting live music goes beyond the shop. Throughout the year, we partnered with venues and promoters to offer ticket giveaways to our community. Huge thanks to our friends at:
AEG
Beachland Ballroom
Grog Shop
Live Nation
The Foundry
Harvest for Hunger
With your help, we were able to donate 500 lbs of food to Harvest for Hunger this year!!!
Looking Ahead
As we move forward, we’re looking forward to next year and all the exciting things still to come. Thank you for being part of The Vinyl Groove, whether you’ve been here since the beginning or found us along the way.
Here’s to another year of great sound, good people, and records that deserve to be played.
Where Music Transcends Everything