Jeff Segal has a passion for music. He likes to listen to it on vinyl records, and most of the albums he sells at his Waukegan Music Exchange store — from rock to jazz to classical and much more — are the kind people like to listen to while it circles on a turntable.
Customers in the store continually hear music played over high-quality speakers — he also sells those — while vinyl records rotate on a turntable. There is a spot in the back with chairs. Occasionally, there are live music concerts, but they are always there for visitors to sit and listen.
“Vinyl is tangible,” he said. “It’s something you have. It’s a much deeper commitment than streaming. A lot of people say it sounds better. It’s a great way to enjoy music, and I love to do it when I can.”
Segal said he started selling vinyl records from pop-up shops around Waukegan. Then, last November, he opened the store in downtown Waukegan, but he only signed a lease through the end of 2024. He was being cautious. Then he extended his stay.
“I was having too much fun and the interest had grown,” he said. “Things were going so well, so I figured why shut the store?”
The Waukegan Music Exchange will celebrate its first year in business from noon to 9 p.m. on Nov. 15 at the shop on Genesee Street in downtown Waukegan with music and a food drive, where a bag of nonperishable groceries will earn the donor a T-shirt or baseball cap.
During the nine-hour anniversary celebration, Segal said there will be deejays playing music as people browse the record collection and participate in a food drive benefitting the Cool Ministries Food Pantry in Waukegan.
“With Thanksgiving coming and SNAP having funding issues, this will help people in need,” he said. “The people in Waukegan have been good to me the past year, and this is a way I can pay it back.”
In the 1950s and 1960s, vinyl records were the way people listened to music at home unless they were hearing it on the radio. Eventually, cassettes, compact discs and streaming from the internet became avenues to hear songs and melodies.
Though vinyl lost favor for a while, Segal said there has always been a core of people who continued to listen to records. In recent years, that core has started to grow, and shops like the Waukegan Music Exchange cater to those people.
When Taylor Swift debuted her latest album, “Life of a Showgirl,” last month, 1.3 million albums of the more than 4 million sold in the first week were vinyl. Though customers will not find it at the Waukegan Music Exchange, it helped Segal set a personal social media record.
“I took this picture and posted it on social media,” he said, referring to a snapshot of him holding a sign saying Swift’s album was not being sold there. “It’s the most hits I ever got.”
About 90% of the records at the Waukegan Music Exchange are used, and priced at $5. Segal said some “classics” cost more. People bring them to the shop and he pays them a “fair price.” Once, someone came to the shop with a van full of records. Most of the customers are local.
“These records truly reflect the community because they come from the community,” he said.
David Schaefer, a Waukegan resident, was shopping for records there recently. He said it takes him back to the days before compact discs. He looked for more than albums, like 45 rpm records, which contain a single song on each side.
“I got rid of my records when CDs came along,” Schaefer said. “Now I can get them again. I have some of my dad’s old Elvis records. I like playing them.”
A special display in the store showcases local artists. Not only does it have CDs of local musicians, but there are shirts promoting those local bands. There is also some jewelry. Groups play concerts approximately once a month.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.