Who would have thought that after almost completely petering out in Buffalo, vinyl record sales would have made a comeback so soon? Now, with a couple of shops under our belt, and vinyl swaps and regular showings at flea markets, the vinyl scene is improving day by day.
The latest vinyl purveyor to enter the fray is owner/proprietor Josh Smith who opened up Black Dots (collection of early songs recorded by Bad Brains) at the corner of Grant Street and Lafayette two months ago. Josh moved to Buffalo from Syracuse for a couple of different reasons, including, “touring through Buffalo with my band… that was when I realized that there was a lot going on in the city. I was looking for a change in scenery and a friend had just landed a job here.”
After working at another local vinyl store, Josh decided that he was going to branch out and open his own shop on Grant Street. “I knew the guy who owned the house,” Josh told me. “And there was already a screen printing business in the garage next door (that handles some of Josh’s prints/posters, t-shirts, etc).”
Other than slinging vinyl, Josh is involved with the live music scene and does help to promote the occasional performance, as time and space allows. But Black Dots is where he is concentrating his energies most of the time, manning the store upwards of seven days a week. In coming months, Josh is planning on expanding his the shop’s footprint (where he specializes in punk, hardcore, Indie and metal), by leasing additional space in the back. At that point he will diversify his selections by selling rock, pop and hip hop.
To learn more about Black Dots, check out the Facebook group, or stop into the business at 223 Lafayette Avenue (Grant Street side), Buffalo’s West Side. (716) 242-9273