Waiting Room Records in Uptown Normal celebrates music of all varieties.

The store, located at 113 W. North St., was opened by owner Jared Alcorn in 2004 after former shop Deadpan Alley closed its doors.

“I worked at Deadpan Alley for eight years, and I learned a lot about how to run a shop,” Alcorn said. “I also worked in distribution in Chicago so I understood that part of the business as well.”

With a small bank loan and another personal loan, Alcorn developed Waiting Room Records into a well-reputed Uptown business.

Waiting Room’s music selection runs the gamut, both in genre and format.

“Be it reggae, hip-hop or metal, we have at least a little bit of everything,” Alcorn said. “We have CDs, 45s, LPs, cassettes — pretty much everything except 8tracks.”

Waiting Room’s collection of vinyl records, which are still surging in sales, contain both vintage classics and modern releases.

Customers who cannot find the music they’re looking for at Waiting Room can still get their hands on just about anything through the store’s special order service. For no extra charge, orders can be placed on out-of-stock releases, and delivery typically takes less than a week.

In addition to the vast collection of music, Waiting Room also has a selection of vintage clothing for sale. From a variety of T-shirts to fashionable vintage dresses and accessories, Waiting Room offers a wardrobe to match your musical culture.

Waiting Room also provides support for local music acts. The store’s windows are lined with promotional materials for local concerts, and they also offer to sell local artists’ CDs through consignment.

“Selling their CDs through us helps bands offer a place for people to get their music other than at concerts,” Alcorn said. “The bands which self-promote that their albums are available at Waiting Room sell quite well. In particular, the Devout Sinners and Alex and the XO’s albums have been selling quickly.”

Waiting Room Records is also the exclusive ticket vendor for the Castle Theatre in Downtown Bloomington. This alternative to online ordering allows customers to avoid some of the fees associated with digital purchases.

As an independently-owned record store, Waiting Room is also an annual participant in Record Store Day, an event which celebrates smaller music shops by offering several exclusive and rare releases. Record Store Day is the largest shopping day for Waiting Room, but customers will have to wait until April 20, 2013 for the next iteration.

For customers looking to stay current with Waiting Room's offerings, the store sends out a weekly email blog complete with descriptions of each new release. To join their mailing list, visit their website at www.waitingroomrecords.com.