Dave Gowans and Lasse Lutick first met playing music together, and in 2002 decided to take the leap into running a record shop. Dave had previously worked at Red Cat, when the original owners let him know they were selling it. “I was working at an independent label at the time, and I could see that vinyl was poised to really make a come back. It felt like the right time to take the risk.” Whether it was his insider knowledge of the industry or just a good guess, Dave's hunch was certainly right and in the years since, vinyl and independent labels have blossomed.
These days the walls and bins at Red Cat are bursting with new and used vinyl, as well as a selection of CDs, also new and used. There’s not a square inch of wall space in Red Cat’s roughly 1,000 square feet that isn't devoted to displaying music.
“While vinyl is decidedly still a bit fringe,” admits Dave, “the people who are into it are so loyal and enthusiastic that it makes our job really fun.” Red Cat is both a neighbourhood shop with lots of locals stopping in, and a destination for music lovers from all over the Lower Mainland. “One of the most satisfying things about running the shop has got to be the total range of people who come in and the musical tastes they bring with them,” comments Dave.
