TURNERS FALLS — With vinyl records making a comeback recently, record store owner John Benedict is making his own return to Franklin County with Music Connection, his new shop set to open on Avenue A next month.
Benedict, who worked for nearly two decades at Greenfield’s former About Music record store, is the new tenant at 187 Avenue A, where the Couture Bros. paint store had been until last year. The new storefront will be Benedict’s second, having owned and operated a Music Connection location in Manchester, New Hampshire since 2015. The new business looks to stand out, particularly with a broad selection of new releases.
After moving to Keene, New Hampshire following the closure of About Music in 2009, Benedict said he was visiting his son in Turners Falls last year when he saw the vacant Avenue A storefront.
“When I was waiting for him to get out of work, I … sat down on the bench at the park there with the amphitheater and saw the sign that said, ‘For Lease,’” he recalled. “I said, ‘What? How?’”
Benedict said he had been thinking of opening another Music Connection location given the success of his Manchester shop, but he didn’t know where he wanted it to be located. Seeing this opportunity, though, led him down memory lane.
“I’m coming through on this promise to myself that I’d make it back to the area in some way,” Benedict said. “It’s such a great place to be. The Connecticut River, the Green River Festival, the Mohawk Trail. I know so many people down there still, so it just seemed like a really good fit.”
The building, constructed in 1933, consists of about 4,000 square feet of space in all, with 460 square feet of office space, 2,500 square feet of retail space, 135 square feet of shipping and receiving space, and 1,050 square feet of basement storage. It also features a receiving door on the side that would allow for easy drop-off of new inventory, Benedict noted. After observing the space, he quickly consulted his business partner and firmed up a lease with building owner Chris Couture.
On his website, Benedict prides himself on having “an extensive, massive selection” of records. This collection grows with virtually every major release, carving out a somewhat unique niche in an area with no shortage of record stores, Benedict emphasized.
“If something comes out on new release day, most likely, I’ll have it on vinyl,” he said.
The store will also feature a selection of CDs and cassette tapes, as well as vintage gear such as turntables, cassette decks, receivers, speakers and other stereo equipment.
A tentative opening is set for Aug. 1, but Benedict said the date will likely be pushed back. He plans to start by having Music Connection open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. Eventually, though, he hopes to have the shop open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. seven days per week.
Reach Julian Mendoza at 413-930-4231 or jmendoza@recorder.com.