Last year, Darkside Records, a staple store for vinyl music lovers and analog listening enthusiasts in Poughkeepsie, was steps away from sealing the deal on a cavernous Victorian church suitable for its lengthy aisles of records and energetic live events. In January 2023, Darkside placed an offer for 260 Mill Street, however, a decision by previous owners, Changepoint Church, to sell the building to another religious organization snubbed Darkside at the last minute.
Despite the letdown, divine providence was nonetheless at work for store founder Justin Johnson, as this rejection led him to stumble upon 32 Cannon Street. The historic downtown Poughkeepsie building was put up for sale by the owners of Revel 32, a wedding and events venue, who took extensive care to rehab the 175-year-old building.
Built in 1845 as a church and redesigned by Arnout Cannon as a Masonic Temple in 1895, the glorious Gilded Age structure at 32 Cannon —instantly recognizable by the opulent Grecian columns adorning its facade—was said to have been the architect’s favorite project. Johnson and his business partner Roberto Hull purchased the building in September of 2023.
Track Record
Since opening in 2011, Darkside has become a beloved institution in Dutchess County, frequented by record collectors, casual analog music enjoyers, and live-music seekers for over a decade. At first operating on Poughkeepsie’s Main Street, then moving to the Dutchess Turnpike where it has been for the past eight years, Darkside is more than qualified to claim its status as a local fixture. Renters up till now, Johnson and Hull expressed a desire to “take our destiny in our own hands” by finding a permanent home for the store. The purchase and upcoming relocation to 32 Cannon Street is in many ways a physical and symbolic commitment to the City of Poughkeepsie.
Darkside Records’ new home has two floors and 20,000 square feet. The first floor will be dedicated to the record store, with the second floor reserved for live music and events. “We could have truly some pretty big shows,” observes Johnson. “I've talked to a couple people about having different Pride events, somebody approached me about doing a hoedown. Literally, the sky's the limit on what we can do with that space upstairs.”
While records are the backbone of Darkside, the possibilities of the new space have thrust Johnson and his team into a whole new sector. “I'm definitely not currently in the events business yet, but it's something that we intend to learn and figure out,” remarks Johnson.
Long-Time Coming
After an epiphany-invoking trip to Amoeba Records in San Francisco as a teenager, the idea to start an independent record store was lodged in Johnson’s mind. “It just kind of all became a dream then, like this is what I want to do. I want to make this sort of space for us where I live,” says Johnson, recollecting his fateful visit to the West Coast.
Johnson is still in awe of how that teenage dream of owning a record store has led him to this moment—purchasing an iconic downtown Poughkeepsie building. “When we actually did the closing, my partner and I looked at each other and were like, ‘I can't believe this is real,’” Johnson says.
While the date of the move is still up in the air, a safe estimate for relocation is early 2025. However, Johnson is holding out hope for a move this fall. “We're stuck right now in the design, code review, applying for permits, environmental testing, all this sort of stuff that you wish would go faster,” he says.
For now, Johnson is bouncing between the current store on Dutchess Turnpike and the new location to meet with designers, engineers, and architects. “I have a great crew and they're holding down the fort here while I'm off doing things that I never thought I'd be doing,” says Johnson.
With Record Store Day coming up on April 20 (possibly the last one held at the current location), it’s a particularly busy time at Darkside. This year, they have over 400 exclusive Record Store Day releases to line the bins, along with beer, and puppies for adoption from a local animal shelter.
Whether in the fall or in the new year, Darkside’s move to 32 Cannon Street will be a monumental day for the 13 year-old business, and for music lovers in Poughkeepsie and beyond. Johnson is eager to let people know their plans. “I really just want people to know, hey, we're moving, we're not going away.” But until that move comes the team at Darkside Records will, as they like to sign off their Instagram posts, “see you in the bins.”
