Bellefonte’s newest small business, Fez Records, opens its doors this weekend | News, Sports, Jobs

Vinyl data are making a comeback. In Bellefonte, there aren’t a complete lot of choices with regards to shopping for data. Now, all that’s about to vary.

At this time, Fez Information, situated at 2042 Axemann Street in Bellefonte, will formally open its doorways. The brand new enterprise is situated simply outdoors the favored Titan Market. The proprietor and operator of Fez Information is Michael Fester, who resides together with his spouse, Cortney, in State Faculty. For Fester, his love of data and music began at a younger age. Opening Fez Information, he mentioned, is a dream come true.

“For so long as I can bear in mind, I might go into data retailers. Wherever I lived — in Vegas or in Arizona — I might simply discover a report store that I actually simply liked to spend time in,” Fester mentioned. “I simply wished to be round these individuals who liked music as a lot as I did. So I might go there and spend a little bit cash.”

With that in thoughts, Fester mentioned he took one of the best parts of his favourite report retailers to create Fez Information. There are crates of vinyl for each style. There are listening stations so prospects can pay attention earlier than they purchase it. There are comfy couches and chairs to take a seat and hearken to no matter he’s taking part in that day. There are Fez Document T-shirts and stickers on the market. And there’s beer! Sure, prospects are invited to have a free beer whereas they store.

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Document gamers are prepared on the market at Fez Information, situated at 2042 Axemann Street in Bellefonte.

Music and beer? Does it get any higher than that?

“Beer is necessary to me,” Fester mentioned with amusing. “Beer and music.”

Opening his personal report store has been at the back of his thoughts for so long as he can bear in mind.

“I at all times liked the thought of getting a spot of my very own the place I’d be surrounded by outdated — and new — vinyl. I wished a spot the place individuals who wished to eliminate outdated media may simply promote or commerce it in. I additionally wished to create a spot the place folks may come and hang around,” Fester mentioned.

Finally, he mentioned, Fez Information could have dwell music that includes native musicians.

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These procuring at Fez Information can sit and hearken to music from the previous and current.

“We wish to have native musicians are available in and jam. And with the house subsequent to Titan Market, there’s open house proper outdoors our doorways. How handy … we’ve got a little bit overflow space. I need dwell music. I need folks to come back and hang around and purchase data in the event that they wish to,” Fester mentioned.

Fester is the assistant principal at Park Forest Center College in State Faculty, so Fez Information is just a passion — or aspect hustle — of kinds. He started searching for a location a number of months in the past, he mentioned. He checked out numerous actual property earlier than discovering the situation at Titan Market.

“(A complete of) 1,000 sq. toes … doorways that I don’t should rely in the marketplace being open, although I’m positively going to wish to feed off of a few of their power. But in addition, I can open up anytime I need. I share the car parking zone with Axemann (Brewery), so I’m enthusiastic about catching a few of their shrapnel from occasions they’ve … I simply fell in love with the house from the get-go and the value was proper. I simply ran with it,” Fester mentioned.

Inside Fez Information, the decor is properly, for lack of a greater phrase, cool. Along with the massive bins of vinyl, the store is adorned with quite a few framed music posters, lots of which characteristic Fester’s favourite band, Pearl Jam.

“I’m 100% obsessive about Pearl Jam, so most all of them are Pearl Jam-related. Fortunately, for me, Pearl Jam makes use of actually cool, fashionable artists to do their artwork. It simply labored out that I had numerous posters to embellish,” Fester mentioned.

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Bins of vinyl are prepared on the market at Fez Information, situated at 2042 Axemann Street in Bellefonte.

There may be what Fester known as a “door to nowhere.” It’s lined with a wide range of stickers. He’s hoping that music lovers will convey a few of their favorites in to assist embellish.

“I wished to color it pink after which simply sticker the heck out of it. I encourage folks to convey stickers in,” he mentioned.

Whereas Bellefonte’s first stand alone report retailer is really a piece in progress, it’s off to a beautiful begin.

“My lease began in March and since I’ve an actual job, I’ve been spending each weekend right here, attempting to do as a lot of the work myself,” Fester mentioned.

He mentioned that he’s carried out nearly all of the work, however he did should have a building firm put in a ramp to make the house wheelchair accessible. Additionally they did some work on the ceiling.

“Every part else you see — all of the lights, the followers — I did myself,” Fester mentioned.

So far as the vinyl is worried, you’ll discover a little bit little bit of all the things. He’s bought used LPs for as little as $2. New vinyl is costlier, in fact. If you’d like one thing that Fester doesn’t have, he’ll do his finest to get it.

Evidently, Fester is de facto thrilled to be part of vinyl’s resurgence.

“There’s only a beautiful nature to an album,” Fester mentioned. “We bought away from that, however individuals are beginning to respect the artwork that goes right into a report, a report cowl … what’s outdated is new once more. It’s all very cool.”