Bloomington record store aims to uplift local music scene

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. (AP) – Passion-driven risk and plucky altruism. That’s the thesis behind ‘œReckless Saint,’� a budding venture into vintage music, stereo equipment and ephemera with a retail storefront that aims to empower the local music scene. Helmed by Scott McCormick, a local musician who plays the guitar, sings, writes songs, and for whom music ‘œhas been a passion my whole life,’� the store opened April 2 in downtown Bloomington. ‘œA reckless saint is someone who is trying to influence the world around them for good, and that often takes a little bit of boldness to do that,’� McCormick, 61, told me during a recent visit. ‘œThe reckless part of it is just someone who is bold and adventurous and willing to try new things,’� McCormick said. ‘œThe saint part of it is a desire to do good things amongst the community, to support and encourage people no matter who they are or where they’re at in life.’� McCormick embodied the first half of the oxymoron this year, when he signed for and inherited the storefront lease from his daughter, Meg McCormick. Meg in 2018 founded the downtown floral studio Vera & Buck. Other than ‘œkeeping it in the family,’� McCormick said he was conscious about setting-up in a space with historic character – the building dates to 1901 and once housed Adlai Stevenson’s law offices. Anchored in the middle of the shop is a large leather sofa. Behind it sits an upright piano and adorning the walls are vintage guitars and original posters from local screen printer Half Hazard Press. Bins of vinyl sit adjacent to a shelf of original equipment, from belt-drive turntables to amplifiers and speakers. ‘œMore than just flipping through some records or looking through some gear,’� McCormick said about the shop’s layout. ‘œThat music would resonate through the whole place. That somebody could come in and feel like, ‘˜Yeah, I’m comfortable in here.”� For the flippers, McCormick’s selection is heavy on classic soul, R&B and country rock, but it also features a range of pop rock, surf rock and synthpop. Sprinkled-in are some first-pressing surprises and a few limited-release gems. Prices are fair, and McCormick is always looking to buy more. The store’s launch comes as vinyl sales are trending healthy in the United States. Revenue from nationwide vinyl record sales in 2020 soared 28.7% to $626 million, according to a report by the Recording Industry Association of America. Those figures mark the first time since 1986 that revenue from vinyl was higher than revenue from compact discs, signaling a clear choice by listeners that they value the experience that comes with broadcasting an LP. McCormick acknowledges that he has competition with Bloomington’s Waiting Room Records and Normal-based Reverberation Vinyl and North Street Records. So far, sales have been positive, he said. Finding a place in the downtown economy has also gone well, McCormick said. Bloomington officials have reported that in 2020 a dozen businesses opened downtown. ‘œI’m hoping other folks will see the opportunity of the economy being on the rebound, and just society opening up and being on the rebound,’� McCormick said. McCormick’s timing also intersects with the pending shift back to live, in-person music events under the ‘œbridge phase’� announced last month by state health officials. Once Illinois hits all the benchmarks for that phase, allowing the Castle Theatre, 209 E. Washington St., to hold in-person performances again, McCormick plans to feature live sessions and meet-and-greets with a musician or a band the afternoon before their show. ‘œFans would just love that kind of access to the artists,’� McCormick said, hypothesizing how sidewalk performances outside the shop could be another future plan.