Darkside Records: The Origin Story
Poughkeepsie, NY — “Music shouldn’t be corporate.” These are the words of Justin Johnson, one of the co-owners of Darkside Records, the Hudson Valley’s largest independent record store. Originally from Schenectady, Johnson says that opening a store like Darkside Records was something he always wanted to do.
Johnson recounts working in a mall record store as a teenager and seeing many things about the business that were done wrong — things he knew he could do better. A cross-country road trip later took him to San Francisco, where he visited Amoeba Records. This sealed the deal for Johnson, and he opened Darkside with his best friend Roberto Hull, a Marist alumnus, in 2011.
After 5 years at its original Main Street location, chosen because Hull wanted to stay in the area after graduating, Darkside Records moved to its current residence on Dutchess Turnpike. Johnson explains the expansion was a result of outgrowing the space; they were running out of room on the shelves, which made it difficult for people to shop. They also wanted to be able to do live shows in-store.
Now Darkside Records hosts local musicians once or twice a week, and touring musicians often stop by for acoustic sets and signings when they play shows within the area. Open mic nights are held once a month, and local artists are welcome to sell their music in the store — some of which can be found exclusively at Darkside Records.
Johnson says that many of Darkside Records’ customers are from surrounding communities, and the employees even have nicknames for some frequent shoppers. Because of their central location and size, it is well-known within the tristate area and has a strong base with people who travel, as well as the parents of students at local schools.
Social media has also impacted Darkside Records’ presence in the digital world; it can be found on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat. When asked for some interesting stories about the store, Johnson mentions the Twitter hashtag #overheardatDarkside, where employees and customers post unusual conversations that have occurred within the bright green walls of Darkside Records.
In addition to serving the local community of musicians and music lovers, Darkside Records has a connection to some of the colleges in the area. Art students at Marist have displayed their capping projects at Darkside for the past two spring semesters, and Johnson says Vassar faculty are music shoppers.
As for the literal eye-catching Darkside Records logo, Johnson says it was chosen simply because it draws people in. It began as only the image of the eye on business cards he would hand out for odds-and-ends jobs, and when the record store opened they decided to keep the design as the label in the center of a record. Similarly, Johnson says the green color of the logo and the interior of the store was chosen due to research demonstrating the calming effect of the color, and that people tend to stay longer in places where they feel more relaxed.
With the inviting nature of its employees, a massive selection of music and plenty of events, it’s not hard to feel at ease when visiting Darkside Records. The story of Darkside Records is one of dedication, authenticity and the love of music.
