The team behind South Side vinyl staple Bridgeport Records is opening a second shop this week in West Town, bringing house music, jazz, and a gaming corner to a storefront on Chicago Avenue. Onion City Records, located at 1812 W. Chicago Ave., launched as a pop-up before settling into its permanent home in the space once occupied by Aeslin Pup Hub.
The new store is owned by Vick Lavender, Jerry Morrison, and Jo Morrison, the same trio who launched Bridgeport Records in 2024 on Halsted Street, according to Block Club Chicago. Lavender, a deep house DJ and label owner, said Onion City Records carries genres beyond house music, and the shop's shelves back that up: house, industrial, new wave, funk, R&B, hip hop, experimental and classic rock all share space with punk and jazz, plus Daft Punk pressings for good measure. Jo Morrison, who co-owns the store alongside Lavender and Jerry Morrison, said Onion City sells as much jazz as it does house.
A North Side Sibling With Its Own Identity
Onion City stocks more techno and mainstream dance music than its South Side sibling, and it carries tracks and albums sourced from local DJs and producers alongside art from local artists, books, and collectibles. The store also features a gaming area for video games, open decks that let anyone spin records on the shop's sound system, and turntables where customers can listen before they buy. Onion City plans to frequently host in-store performances and events, staying open later on nights when live DJs and other performers take over.
Jerry Morrison, a former labor leader, joined the venture before pivoting to record retail. Lavender, meanwhile, has spent years building his own imprint, Sophisticado Recordings, which began in 2006 and officially launched on Traxsource in 2008, with connections to live house, jazz and fusion, per Mixcloud. In a 2019 interview with Questions & Artists, Lavender described a strict commitment to physical vinyl releases, arguing that vinyl gives producers a longer economic shelf-life than digital formats and protects their work from file-sharing.
Grand Opening Set for Saturday, After-Party at Wax Vinyl
Onion City Records plans to hold its permanent grand opening this week in West Town, with the shop hosting a grand opening after-party at Wax Vinyl. The venue, located at 1549 W. Chicago Ave., operates as a Japanese jazz kissa-inspired listening lounge and ramen shop, according to Wax Vinyl Bar. The store's name pays homage to Indigenous names for Chicago, referencing the Potawatomi term zhegagoynak and the Myaamia and Illinois form šikaakonki, which named the region for the wild onions and leeks that grew along the river, as explained by WTTW.
The broader Wicker Park area is home to established vinyl retailers like Dusty Groove on Ashland Avenue, according to Recordbuilds. A July 27, 2026 guide from Time Out lists Reckless Records and Gramaphone Records among Chicago's record stores, adding to the picture of an established vinyl-retail ecosystem. Onion City's owners say their focus on dance subgenres, local producers, and in-store DJ culture sets the new shop apart from what else is already on the shelves nearby. The Chicago Tribune reported in 2005 that independent record stores, once fixtures in nearly every Chicago neighborhood, were disappearing. The Chicago Reader reported in 2021 that Blackout Records, a five-year-old store at 3729 N. Southport, was set to close.
Bridgeport Records Keeps Building Its Own Catalog
Back on the South Side, Bridgeport Records has been selling more CDs and cassette tapes and plans to continue stocking both formats. The original shop opened in July 2024 at 3336 S. Halsted St.; Bridgeport Records has been described as having an eclectic vinyl collection and a focus on deep house, according to Spirit of House, which noted the store launched during the 40th anniversary year of Chicago house music. Bridgeport Records also plans to release music on its own imprint, with a release called A Refined Tapestry, featuring a contribution from Lavender, expected this fall.
The broader physical media market has given both shops a tailwind. US revenues from physical music formats grew 25.9% in the first half of 2026, driven by a 17.7% increase in vinyl sales and a 58.6% surge in CD purchases, according to RIAA mid-year data reported by Pollstar. US vinyl revenues topped $1 billion for the first time in 2025 after 19 consecutive years of growth, with independent record shops accounting for roughly 40% of US vinyl sales, per data cited by CUE BURN.
The owners say opening a second record store helps their bottom line while creating another outpost for DJs and music lovers on the North Side. Bridgeport Records' owners are already considering a third location, which they say could land elsewhere in Chicago, in New York, or in London. For now, Onion City Records is open noon to 7 p.m. Thursday through Sunday, with extended hours on nights when live events take over the store.
