Waxface Records: Making Sure Murfreesboro Has a Brick-and-Mortar Store Dedicated to Records

Waxface owner, Reid Conner

For Murfreesboro resident Reid Conner, the thought of opening a record store was no daunting task. In fact, the lifelong record collector says he didn’t think twice about the business venture.

“I’ve always been fascinated with vinyl records, since I was a kid,” Conner explains. “But it wasn’t until later when I started building my collection and getting serious about it.”

Before opening his own brick-and-mortar store, Conner capitalized on his love of vinyl by hauling records to Nashville flea markets. Tired of transporting record crates every weekend, he sought to fill the void left by places like Little Shop of Records and Hastings, the former having closed in October 2015 followed by the latter a year later.

“Sometimes I would want to buy records but realize there were no longer stores here fully dedicated to vinyl,” he says. “It was one of those things where I woke up one day and said, ‘You know, I’m going to open a record store.’”

It was during that time frame when Conner decided to take a leap of faith and open Waxface Records at 748 E. Northfield Blvd.

For a city craving the crackle and pop of vinyl, Waxface is a slice of paradise. When Conner opened the store last June, there were about ten record crates and a few boxes to flip through. By the end of the first month, the store began filling out with hundreds of new releases and classics.

“Operating the store has been a huge learning experience,” Conner says. He adds that meeting customers and swapping vinyl knowledge is what he has enjoyed most as a business owner.

“Even though we’ve been open for a while, people are still discovering the store,” he adds.

Nine months later, the store is stocked with records in all popular genres, from classic rock and jazz to traditional country and hip-hop. Waxface has a wall dedicated to new releases, along with boxes of 45s, CDs, 8-track tapes and posters throughout the store. There’s even a small lounge area that provides a space for musicophiles to converse over their findings.

“I try to gauge what people are interested in, but I also try to carry stuff people aren’t going to find anywhere else,” he says. “It’s always great when people come in here and say something like, ‘Wow, I’ve never seen this before.’”

In a couple months, vinyl fans will have the chance to score limited pressings on Record Store Day, a one-day event that celebrates the culture of indie record stores. Now in its 11th year, RSD sees owners across the globe opening their doors to eager collectors queuing up to purchase special releases.

“Last year was our first experience with a special Record Store Day event on Black Friday,” he says of the annual post-Thanksgiving event. “The big day’s in April, and I hope people will come out to see what we have.”

Although Conner can always be found spinning records, customers will soon be able to catch a show while browsing. Waxface hosted its first in-store performance last month with New Suede and guitarist Joey Fletcher, and Conner expects to book more shows in the future.

Keep an eye out for Record Store Day 2018 releases at recordstoreday.com. Visit Waxface Records on Facebook or a waxfacerecords.com. Waxface is located at 748 E. Northfield Blvd. in Murfreesboro.

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