CD Central’s Baron determined to survive record store wars, still fighting to win his way

Story and photo by Jeffrey Scott Holland

When Steve Baron moved to Lexington in 1982, he never dreamed he’d be running a music store, much less one that so effectively leads the local scene.

Originally hailing from New Jersey, Baron moved around to and from such diverse places as Chicago and Belgium before settling down in Kentucky with an early morning drive-time news radio gig for WLAP. After two and a half years there, he spent the next decade with the University of Kentucky Office of Public Relations as a writer. But by 1995, Baron was thinking about making a bold move — starting his own retail business.

The idea of operating a music store was a risky proposition even during the economic boom of the ’90s, especially with other well-established ones already in the vicinity. Baron’s inaugural location for his CD Central store — as the first tenant in the then-brand new and struggling South Hill Station family of shops — made the decision even gutsier, some might say. But CD Central’s business just kept booming. By 1999, they’d taken over the former storefront of their biggest competitor, and by 2006, they’d expanded even further, to take over the property next door.

In an age of chaos for the music industry, why has CD Central consistently grown while others have fallen by the wayside? Baron is modest about the accomplishment, putting it down to good timing — his store’s expansion coincides with that of downtown Lexington’s in general. “We’ve reached that critical mass where downtown is vital again,” says Baron, “and things are really happening.”

That much-needed vitality of downtown Lexington and its surrounding areas has posed a problem for many indie retailers in the past. “Lexington has a huge suburban population who tend to have an aversion to shopping downtown,” Baron notes. “But things have improved vastly in the last few years, and I like to think I’m contributing in some small way.”

Live in-store performances are a key part of CD Central’s cultural contribution. Artists as diverse as the Black Keys, cellist Ben Sollee, Wilco drummer Glenn Kotche and Bluegrass legend Charlie Louvin have graced Baron’s humble stage over the years. The old tradition of in-store autograph appearances isn’t dead either: My Morning Jacket was recently here to meet and greet fans.

Baron, along with Morris Book Shop owner Wyn Morris and others, was also instrumental in the formation of Local First Lexington, an alliance of small independent retailers. Says Baron, “We were frustrated with having to compete with huge corporate ‘big box’ stores that always seem to get the breaks. Then I became aware of these ‘buy local’ organizations that were having success in cities like Phoenix, Ariz.”

When Baron isn’t minding the store, he has plenty of other pursuits to occupy his hours. Classic cars are one of his passions, and antique streetcar memorabilia (which is the subject of a book he authored, Houston Electric) is another. Somehow he still finds time to catch live music elsewhere in the scene, at venues like The Green Lantern, Al’s Bar, Buster’s and Cosmic Charlie’s. He names Table 310, A La Lucie’s and Jonathan at Gratz Park as other places he enjoys for nightlife and dining.

What’s next for CD Central? More of the same. Perseverance. “I don’t think the music industry is going to bounce back” from its current downtrend, says Baron. But now that stores like Wal-Mart and Best Buy are drastically cutting back on carrying CDs, Baron is determined to hold the line. As more and more corporate stores phase out CDs, Baron is increasingly the only place to go for most titles, and his selection of vinyl records continues to grow as a new generation increasingly unfamiliar with hard-copy music media develops a fascination for it.

In an age where the Internet is now his only real competitor left, Baron is determined to continue doing things his way — and winning.

Jeffrey Scott Holland is a contributing writer for KyForward.com. He can always be reached at any time, by anyone on the planet, at jshpaint@gmail.com.