Longtime friends mix vinyl, beer at Conroe businessWax Taps co-owners Johnathan Freeman and Kevin Wright have been friends for more than 20 years. The pair originally bonded over music in seventh grade in their hometown of Orange, Texas.

“We were the nerdy kids who hung out in the library away from all the other kids,” Freeman said. “We used to talk about opening a CD store in the Parkdale Mall [near Orange], but we never thought it would actually happen.”

Instead, Freeman and Wright opened Wax Taps, a vinyl record shop, in April 2017 in Conroe. Music enthusiasts can browse a diverse collection of thousands of used and new records from a range of musical genres—including rock ’n roll, country, jazz, metal and even spoken-word and comedy albums.

Patrons can buy, sell and trade records as well as cassettes and audio equipment such as turntables and other collectible items.

The shop features Texas craft beers on tap, board games, vintage arcade games and plenty of seating in a coffee-shop inspired setting. Freeman said they wanted Wax Taps to be different from other record stores by making it pet- and kid-friendly and never charging a cover fee for live music events.

Wright’s interest in vinyl records started in 2006 after moving to Dallas, which is where he discovered the allure of the music medium. The niche market was beginning its resurgence, as consumers now purchased vinyl for its collectability, nostalgia and raw sound quality, Wright said.

Wright said he was immediately interested in the overall visual and audio experience of vinyl, and he soon shared his love of records with Freeman. By the time Wright moved to Conroe in 2009, he owned more than 4,000 records.

Freeman and Wright continued to work respective full-time jobs for years before they decided to open Wax Taps, with Freeman moving to Conroe in October 2017. By owning an independent record store and participating in the revival of vinyl music, Freeman and Wright said they are fulfilling their childhood dreams.

“There’s so many reasons [to love vinyl], but what draws me in initially is just that it makes you attached to that front-to-back experience, to the whole album,” Wright said. “You go on this journey, and it makes you appreciate [the music] more.”



Wax Taps
529 N. Frazier St., Conroe
832-303-3711
www.waxtaps.com
Hours: Thu.-Fri. 3-7 p.m., Sat. 2-8 p.m., Sun. 2-6 p.m., closed Mon.-Wed.