As you approach the front of Jet Age Records on Monmouth Street in Newport, you’re met with music and an eye-catching, Pink Floyd-inspired storefront facade, which features a painted brick wall with the store’s name and various types of music equipment in the display window.
As you head inside the shop’s red doors, you’ll find rows and rows of different music and memorabilia.
The Northern Kentucky shop opened six years ago in the summer of 2017. The owners, who are also brothers, are all Newport residents.
“I always liked the artwork from the Jet Age and the 50s,” said Kevin Schraer.
Kevin, and brothers Tom and Mike, came up with the idea to open the shop because of a long-lasting love of record shops.
“I’ve always liked record shops,” Mike said. “I’ve wanted to own one for a really long time, the time was right and the building came up, so it all just came together.”
Some of the items offered for customers to purchase include records, CDs, original concert posters and other various music equipment. In addition, the shop also sells some electronics and does light repairs on things such as receivers, turntables, belts and needles.
“We got one of the coolest walls in Northern Kentucky, we got specialty and hard-to-find records on the rare side that you can get,” Tom said.
But if the many types of music equipment, memorabilia and posters don’t tickle your fancy then maybe their coffee bar might. Their menu features a variety of options, including things such as espresso, lattes and other coffee creations to help you feel energized during your visit.
“It’s a full coffee bar, ” Tom said. “I was approached by Kevin and Dad about having a coffee shop. It’s something a little different that we could offer and we went from there.”
In addition to coffee beverages, the store also will feature various live events throughout the year. An annual event that Jet Age Records produces is Record Day, which is a national and annual event by independent record shops that began being observed back in 2008, according to recordstoreday.com.
“We’ve had Record Store Day, normally several groups and album signings here,” Mike said. “Meet and greets for certain bands that come through the Southgate House Revival.”
Not able to make it into the store in person? That’s no problem at Jet Age Records, as they make their products accessible not just to Kentucky residents, but to music lovers located anywhere throughout the country and across a plethora of different music genres.
You can visit their website at https://jetagerecords.com/ to find new and used records, CDs and various other merchandise items that ship straight to your doorstep. To learn more about upcoming events, newly arrived products and events produced by Jet Age Records, you can follow them on Facebook or Instagram @jetagerecords.
Or visit the shop in person at 817 Monmouth St. in Newport.