Video Party opens on Main Street, celebrating physical media with VHS, vinyl, and parties

Video Party, a new physical media store at the front of the historic Ellis Building at 1024 Main St., is rewinding back to the '80s and '90s with VHS tapes, vinyl, vintage cinema books, punk t-shirts, and filmmaker memorabilia.

Co-founders Geordie Howes and Jodan Hughes curated the space as a cross between an independent video rental store and a basement everyone wanted to hang out in. "Physical media store first," Howes says. "Then we have the ability to be a private movie theatre, slash doing our own kind of movie nights." The tapes come from Hughes's personal collection and items sourced from second-hand shops and Facebook Marketplace.

Beyond retail, the pair are running events in an adjacent space with old cathode-ray TVs hooked up throughout, hosting video parties where everyone watches on vintage sets. "I have ones that I like more than I like others," Howes says. "My favourite one is in the corner of the bar. It's this old Hitachi, and that's my favourite visual picture out of all the TVs."

Currently open by appointment through Instagram, the store plans regular hours once weekly but they're not finalized yet. A grand opening party is planned for July 23 from 7 p.m. to "late," 19-plus, featuring prizes, flash tattoos, popcorn, and karaoke.

Howes frames the physical media focus as a counterpoint to AI and algorithmic curation. "It's making a big comeback because I think so many of us are against AI and see how it's hurting the world versus doing any good," he said. "And then it's funny to see, the younger kids are definitely getting into this whole physical media stuff."