Ignition Music

Poor used selection. Unenthusiastic staff. Nice new selections of records and hardware. It’s OK.

Fans of vinyl in Northern Indiana should definitely swing by Ignition Music. What’s most impressive about Ignition is the attention to balance and numerous tastes in the area. Much of the local taste runs toward Americana, due partly to a strong local college station that plays lots of Americana, among other styles. In fact, the owner had his own radio program on the college station before he owned the record store. The shop carries a fair amount of Americana and most standard new indie rock releases but isn’t afraid to carry records for more specialized tastes, whether it’s bluegrass or garage/​psych or whatever else. While some niche genre fans aren’t going to find flush sections with all of everything, the store will gladly order those items. They also carry lots of classics, of course, along with solid used jazz and rock sections. The CD section looks pretty good, too, though that’s not really where I spend my time.
I also appreciate the ownership’s loyalty to his customers. I’m not a regular there — my drive is 45 minutes to an hour, and I work most of the time, so I’m not in the area much — but I’ve visited the store several times in the past 6 months. Each time, I’ve been impressed at this particular characteristic. Whether it’s fair pricing on rare used items or running Record Store Day in a way that rewards music fan customers rather than letting eBay flippers grab the good stuff before the rest of us get a chance, the ownership makes a strong effort to make the store more than a series of business transactions. That makes me want to plan a few more drives up now and then rather than just pointing, clicking, and checking the mail. If you buy music and live anywhere near Goshen, Indiana, then you need to plan a stop at Ignition.

Went last night to see New Country Rehab perform. First, this place is a neat music store with lots of vinyl, high end audio equipment as well as instruments. Now, the live music here is awesome, what a nice and cozy venue to watch bands play. This is an oasis in a barren desert of northern Indiana’s lack of music venues. I cannot wait to go again.