Around the corner from the Dor-Stop diner, Greg Anderson and Jennifer Rogers work feverishly to price and label thousands of records and miscellaneous merch, shirts and more inside Vinyl Remains, their new record store opening next week at 2911 Glenmore Avenue in Dormont.
The couple moved to the South Hills in October last year, neither having ever lived in Pittsburgh before. Rogers, a Detroit native, lived in New York for 30 years before coming to Pittsburgh. Anderson had lived in New York since 1995, when he moved there from Austin, Texas.
“I found that Pittsburgh was full of everything that we both needed,” says Anderson. The pair chose Dormont based on the closeness of the T, affordability of the real estate, and overall character of its main street and the down-to-earth residents.
Upon moving to New York, Anderson, age 44, worked in legendary comic/zine store See Hear before opening Shrine Records in 1997, not far from Tompkins Square Park in the East Village.
“Our specialty was everything,” he says. “It was like one giant listening station.”
After Shrine closed in 2002, he and Rogers went on to open a bar, Daddy’s, in Brooklyn’s Williamsburg neighborhood. It closed last year after their landlord doubled their rent. (The pair still own a craft beer and burger bar in the neighborhood called Mother’s.)
Looking for something new, they signed a lease in the former Dormont Dogs and Parker’s sandwich shop space on Glenmore Ave., the latter having moved to Brookline in May.
The compact store has a boutique feel and will play host to a lovingly curated selection of some 3,000 records, everything from free jazz to folk to horror movie soundtracks to good ol’ AC/DC and Zeppelin.
“Vinyl Remains is a fantastic complement to the businesses already on Potomac Ave,” says Dormont Council President Kate Abel. “Anytime we can add something vibrant to our community it is very much appreciated.”
In addition to LPs and 12” releases, both new and used, the shop will offer a selection of books, shirts, stickers and other memorabilia. Early examples include underground music publishing house Bazillion Points and psychedelic artist Killer Acid.
Anderson hopes that visitors will come in and browse, perhaps while they’re waiting for a table at the Dor-Stop, and strike up a conversation about whatever righteous jams are coming out of the speakers.
“I love turning people on to music I think is amazing,” says Anderson. “It’s still in me. My enthusiasm hasn’t waned at all. That’s why I had to do a store again.”
Vinyl Remains will open the last week of September. Follow the store on Instagram @vinyl_remains for the official opening day announcement.
