Death of Vinyl

To reach Death of Vinyl in Little Italy, you have to enter a narrow doorway bedecked with awesome art by local artist Chris Dyer, mount a set of stairs extolling positive virtues, pass numerous eclectic decorations, come around a corner, and then finally you’ll find yourself in a huge room with warm, low lighting and an atmosphere not unlike an embrace. If you are a music fan or a fan of vinyl for any number of reasons, you could not find a more welcoming shop. “With this place, we tried to combine all our favourite experiences of being in a record store,” explains owner Steve Ludvik. “Generally when people are unhappy in a store, it’s either because they’re not happy in the space or because they’re not being treated well.”

Steve works at the record store with co-owner Daniel Hadley, and says they consciously reject the snobbery often associated with specialty music stores. “We make it a point to be welcoming to everyone and we wouldn’t hire anyone that is superior towards people,” he says. “We all know that we don’t know everything. Music is very important to me and Dan; it’s sacred to us. If a customer knows more than we do, we’re happy to listen and learn from them about bands and records.”