It seems counterintuitive, but up until a week ago if a North Baltimore based musician wanted to buy an instrument, or have one repaired, they would probably have to travel to the suburbs. 

But the opening of Outpost Music last week in Hampden, 846-B W. 36^th St. beneath Luigi’s Deli, has corrected that situation.

"There really wasn’t a music store in Baltimore—there’s one in Mt. Vernon that people don’t really like all that much—everywhere else is in Towson or Glen Burnie so I decided to just do this here kind of in the middle of everything," said Jesse Lyell, the store’s owner.

Lyell said that he has been living in Baltimore for 11 years, after relocating from Richmond, VA with his band The Exploder, and said the lack of a music store in the area has always been a source of irritation for city musicians.

So Lyell, who had been working as a bartender saving his money for the past seven or eight years, decided that he would take the leap and open a music shop in the city to take advantage of local demand.

The shop sells new and used equipment, musical accessories like cords and strings and focuses primarily on the needs of rock musicians.

“It’s mostly geared toward rock bands. I have a violin, but that’s kind of the exception to the norm,” Lyell said.  

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