Music isn’t just a pastime or a hobby for Matt Pfefferkorn. It is his passion and the reason he opened Mellow Matt’s Music and More on the corner of Smallhouse Road and Broadway Avenue.

“I’m a music guy,” Pfefferkorn said. “I wanted to open a store that centers around vinyl and music.”

Though some may consider vinyl records outdated, some music lovers, like Pfefferkorn, argue that vinyl provides a rich sound and even richer nostalgia. Pfefferkorn said vinyl records are making a resurgence and he couldn’t be more excited.

“With the new technology of the past few years, you can carry a whole music collection around, but not the same sound,” Pfefferkorn said. “With vinyl, you get, sonically, a better quality than a compressed digital file.”

Though the new store sells CDs and other items such as books, DVDs and sound equipment, Pfefferkorn said that vinyl is the business’s main focus.

“I think a locally-owned, traditional music store is wanted and needed in Bowling Green,” he said.

Mellow Matt’s celebrated their grand opening on Oct. 25 and 26. The occasion included in-store performances from local bands. One of the bands, The Reneaus, voiced their support of Matt’s vision for the store.

“A local store can sell our music in one specific location,” Steven Page, the band’s guitarist and a WKU alumnus, said.

John Winn, another WKU alumnus and the band’s keyboard player, echoed the support for Mellow Matt’s.

“Matt is someone who knows what he is doing,” Winn said. “And most importantly, he loves the music.”

Pfefferkorn said that local music is vital to the purpose of his store.

“I’ve been in Bowling Green for 33 years,” he said. “I wanted to have a store that helps with local music. We’re going to be promoting local music and having in-store shows on a regular basis.”

Ashton Biggers, of Ashlee Design House, designed the store’s logo with his business partner, Jason Lee. Biggers expressed his happiness about the opening of a locally-focused record store.

“This business is purely focused on music,” Biggers said. “No one is in love with music like Matt.”

Pfefferkorn stressed the wide variety of products and interests his new store covers.

“We have CDs, DVDs, vintage stereo equipment, books and locally produced jewelry,” Pfefferkorn said.

Pfefferkorn said there is something at Mellow Matt’s for just about everyone, but especially WKU students.

“I’ve talked to several students that are all about vinyl and are excited about the opening,” Pfefferkorn said. “There are more younger people into vinyl now than ever.”

The store is relatively close to campus, Pfefferkorn said, and he enjoys the business being located in a residential atmosphere, where everyone in the community has easy access to it.

“We have something you can enjoy, whether you are 13 or 70,” Pfefferkorn said.