TOLEDO – Culture Clash Records has been a staple of the Toledo music scene for decades. The establishment hosts a vinyl store that caters to all genres of music for every imaginable audience.
It’s long since doubled as a venue, hosting a wide swath of local acts, but the last eight years have been a challenge for the business. The location and some staff have moved, the company had to adjust to a new space, and there was a change in ownership – all the while, the demand for vinyl soared.
Tim and Lizzie Friedman, owners of Culture Clash, spoke with the Toledo Free Press about their winding journey. Tim Friedman has seen a drastic difference from their beginnings in 2017, when they purchased the business, followed by their move to the current downtown space (at 912 Monroe St.) in 2020, and then bought the building a year later.
“Talk about the landscape changing since 2016…everything is different. When I took over, it was most common to sell used $8 rock records. Now, we sell a robust variety of things. Our best sellers are Rumors by Fleetwood Mac, but alongside that we are selling Taylor Swift and Chappell Roan,” said Tim Friedman. “We’ve seen a significant shift of people walking through the door, from parents dragging their kids along to kids dragging their parents along.”
“The age of the average customer has gone down,” Lizzie Friedman added. “Especially as it’s gotten more popular and accessible for young people. Most of our customers are college age or younger.”
The resurgence of physical audio media has changed what’s stocked on the shelves, as well as the clientele. The heart of the store, however, remains the same. Customers come to Culture Clash because they know they have someone looking out for their taste. Bring up an artist you love, and you’ll get thorough recommendations. Looking for something special? They’ll keep an eye out for you. The current and past owners echo these sentiments. Most importantly, people feel welcomed here.
“The point of the store is to be available for everyone. We need to cater to the diversity of music that comes in here,” said Lizzie Friedman.
Jon Zenz, a former patron of Culture Clash’s previous iteration, Boogie Records, commented on his warm experiences here. Zenz, a musician, has also played at both the Secor location and their new downtown store.
“It was always the best place to get records,” he said. “Pick Pat’s brain on new stuff and he would always know what you liked. They had shows there and it was the best.”
The purchase of the downtown building in 2021 was intentional for expanding the legacy of Culture Clash.
“The purchasing of the new building has clouded this vision” said Tim Friedman. “We’ve had to pivot time and again because of what’s needed of us.”
The venue hasn’t hosted shows at the frequency they had in their Secor location days. The delay has been tough to swallow. Shows, or “in-stores,” have been part of their mission to integrate with the tri-state music scene. The goal is exposure and keeping the music going; the stage is open to musicians with a range of experience.
Tim Friedman said, “We encourage artists as a DIY space, where they can sell tickets ahead of time and at the door. We say this low-dollar amount from your ticket sales goes towards us being able to continue doing this. It covers the costs.”
In-stores weren’t hosted until very recently because of building capacity requirements and zoning restrictions that prevented concerts from taking place. The building’s change in ownership came with changes in requirements, creating an unforeseen barrier.
“We spent a couple of years and tens of thousands of dollars determining what the city wanted from us. We worked with architects who went back and forth with a building official who no longer works for the city.”
Eventually, the expenses of their endeavor to fully realize the space came to a tipping point. “We had to ask for help last year, it got so ugly,” said Tim Friedman. “Not unrelated to the tens of thousands of dollars we spent on this building. It’s so difficult to ask for that help. It feels like saying we messed up, and I don’t think that’s true.”
Record Store Day 2024 was a huge success for Culture Clash. According to Liz Friedman, “we didn’t go public with the need for help until October of 2024, and then we hosted a big “Save Culture Clash” fundraiser event in November, which was a similar set up to RSD — all day party with music, vendors and food trucks.”
This year, Record Store Day 2025 is on April 12, and it’s expected to be another all-day party.
Live music? Yes! In-stores are once again available in the space. Other adjustments were made to resolve building restrictions, and now events land on the schedule more frequently.
“We’ll open at 10 and let 10 people in at a time,” said Tim Friedman. “We’ll have live music starting at that time. Live jazz followed by a singer/songwriter, DJ until noon. We’ll have hip-hop, Americana and indie rock, some more jazz. Hardcore to close out the night.”
This year’s Record Store Day feels like a celebration of overcoming obstacles alongside their community.
“We get to live our dream,” Tim Friedman said. “This has been a struggle to get to the point where we can maximize the space. There’s been a lot of great community and feedback. The response and the support has been wonderful.”
John Contos, a lifelong record collector and an employee at the store, said that “whether it’s a special release that brings people out [for Record Store Day], or seeing local artists play, it’s a pleasure to see the ever-expanding community of collectors coming out every year.”
