PHOTOGRAPH PROVIDED BY ALIEN RECORDS
Timothy Henninger’s predilection with records began as a child when he bought Michael Jackson’s Thriller LP from a Thriftway in Western Hills. By high school, art and record stores were his sanctuaries. With enthusiasm, he recollects how the record players at his Catholic school had a quarter taped to the tone arm for weight, and how when he taught art, he used the same model in his classroom and at the gym. (Believe it or not, the self-proclaimed gym rat toted a portable record player and LPs to workouts instead of a Spotify playlist.)
Earlier this month, Henninger bid farewell to coworkers at Hard Rock Casino to open a record store. After a successful soft launch on November 8, he and his partner, Aaron, officially opened Alien Records at 1207 Vine Street in Over-the-Rhine. Specializing in new and used vinyl, the shop is named after their cat, Alien, who customers may see loafing behind the counter or next to a custom-built record bin.
The Cincinnati City Development Corporation (3CDC) tenant says he chose the 1,250 square-foot space because of close-knit relationships he already built with Vine Street businesses.
“I’m a regular at Bakersfield,” Henninger says. “Abigail Street and Bakersfield know me personally from years ago.”
His other reason for wanting to be in the area is the traffic. “I had to have a location where the foot traffic was from early before noon and lasted past dinner,” Henninger explains. “And if I’m going to invest my time and money into a record store, I want it to be busy. I want it to be a happening place.”
PHOTOGRAPH PROVIDED BY ALIEN RECORDS
He also wanted its atmosphere to be cozy. White walls contrasted by black lacquered hard wood floors and Monstera plants give off a streamlined feel. For a pop of color, Henninger and his partner hand painted a stencil of red, yellow, orange and green lines surrounding the alien’s head to resemble a musical staff. The green alien logo was designed by Chase Stein of Wildstyle Signs in Camp Washington.
“I really like the three colors because they’re kind of warm colors against the idea of the alien as green,” Henninger explains. “The three colors were just a suggestion of warmth that’s contrasting to the green.”
A lover of mostly every genre, especially ’80s new wave, punk, and campy novelty records like Florence Foster Jenkins’s cacophonous attempts at operatic soprano, Henninger says for now, the store’s inventory mostly comes from his vast record collection. The store also carries cassettes, CDs and new releases and will eventually carry posters, T-shirts, and other memorabilia.
Henninger is already looking forward to being part of Record Store Day 2025 and eventually wants to use the space to host in-store performances (including drag shows) and signings. Some “dream come true” performances, he adds, would be either Portland-based jazz band Pink Martini or Pet Shop Boys.
As an audiophile and collector, Henninger observes that LPs have increased in popularity in a digital age because they engage the senses.
“You can hear the needle hitting the actual record,” he says. “That’s different from a CD. And then you can see it, meaning you can read the liner notes and the photographs. But you also can touch it, so you can feel the record coming out, putting it into the sleeve. You can open it up like a book. There’s a tactile-ness to it. And I really think that people—human beings—want that experience even more so than the download.”
Alien Records is open daily from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
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