ExperienceGuide2023 - 29

When asked what his favorite is, he can't
narrow it down. " I have a second record store
in my house, " he says with a laugh.
The comeback of vinyl has certainly helped
keep him in business. " There's a variety of
factors that contribute to vinyl's popularity, "
he explains. Among the reasons, quality
of the audio as analog, active listening vs.
passive listening where algorithms are
serving up music to you, and a whole new
audience that has never purchased physical
media. Having something with an album
cover is something an entire generation has
never had. He notes that he's seeing spikes in
CDs and even cassette tapes as people build
their music collection.
Exile on Main St.
Tens of thousands of vinyl greet you when you step foot in Exile on Main St., located
in the former train station in downtown Champaign. Your eye immediately gravitates
up as you gaze on the impressive mural created by local artist, Langston Alston,
before looking down on the record-shaped stage with a hand-painted Rolling Stones
Exile on Main St. album label, for which the shop is named.
When talking to owner, Jeff Brandt, about the store, his passion for music and
community is obvious. His path to being a record store owner started with his
longtime obsession with music, dating back to childhood. All he wanted was to work
in a record store and he had his eye on Periscope Records in Champaign. He began
hanging out there as often as possible while working as a teenager at Village Inn
Pizza, when the owners finally gave him the break he'd been waiting for-a job in the
shop. The rest is history.
He opened Exile on Main St. on Black Friday in 2004 in One Main in downtown
Champaign, the first business to open to the public in that development. At that
time, vinyl was just a small part of his inventory. CDs, DVDs, and video games played
a bigger role at that time, but it didn't take long for that to change.
Since the beginning of the store, his dedication to the community has always been
top of mind. Working with his friend and collaborator, Mike Ingram, he was able to
build up a strong local music section in the shop which then led to support for the
area's vast music scene. His local collection and collaboration have only grown
since they moved to their current location in the old train station on the edge of
downtown. Not only does he sell local albums, but those artists also grace his stage
to perform at events throughout the year, including Record Store Day where he has
lines of customers outside the door.
Exile on Main St. caters to all music lovers, with a vast collection of every genre.
Jeff's goal was to create a place where anyone can find something that they enjoy.
Gospel, religious, kids, classic rock, soul, R&B, hip hop, blues, a sizable world music
section and about everything in between can be found amongst the inventory.
Whatever it is people are buying, he's happy
to still be in business and be a part of
downtown Champaign, an area for which he
has fond memories. He spent a lot of time
in the Robeson building, where his dad had
an office on the top floor. He loved going to
The Great Impasta for fresh bread and clam
chowder-a perfect lunch, and he shares he
had his first " public " beer at Esquire.
He hopes to be there for the long haul,
serving long-time customers and introducing
new ones to the joy of listening to music.
Follow them on Facebook and Instagram at
@exilemainst for upcoming events and new
inventory and be sure to stop in to find that
record that's calling your name.
experiencecu.org
29
https://www.exilemainstreet.com/ https://esquirelounge.com/ https://www.instagram.com/exilemainst/?hl=en https://www.facebook.com/exilemainst/ http://www.experiencecu.org
ExperienceGuide2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of ExperienceGuide2023
