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Cactus Music
Categories: Shopping Books, Mags, Music and Video Music & DVDs Shopping Books, Mags, Music and Video Vinyl Records Music & DVDs, Vinyl Records [Edit]
2110 Portsmouth StHouston, TX 77098
Neighborhood: Upper Kirby
(713) 526-9272
- Hours:
Mon-Sat 10 am - 9 pm
Sun 12 pm - 7 pm
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
28 reviews for Cactus Music
Review Highlights
"The live music and free beer on Saturdays and Sundays can't..."
(in 5 reviews)
"There is a nice-sized stage for live in-store performances."
(in 4 reviews)
"Cactus is also a perennial cd release party location."
(in 9 reviews)
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28 reviews in English
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Review from Claire G.
Live music in an Empire Records setting? That's what you will get. While you jam to the latest and greatest local talent you also get to peruse the selection of new releases, old school tunes, and even some vinyl. Plus, this is one of the only places you can probably find a keg that's not in a back yard. Now don't get too excited, but on some occasions, Cactus will host live music and a keg. Not too shabby for a Saturday afternoon.
Although CD's are the most popular thing going right now with all of the options we have...iTunes, Amazon, it's nice to contribute a little. Not in the market for a Wham! CD? Just come in for the great t-shirts, posters, and gag gifts! -
Review from Kelly S.
8/25/2011 4 Check-ins Here
I'm not sure I can say anything that has not yet been said but I have to chime in here... Cactus Music is a phenomenal record store.
The selection is great and the prices are reasonable. If you're into vinyl, they have a rather extensive collection in the Record Ranch.
The live music and free beer on Saturdays and Sundays can't be beat. We've enjoyed all the bands we've seen there. The St Arnolds folks are great for donating their beer for these events. You can really make an afternoon out of perusing the shelves, St Arnies in hand.
My music lover and performer step father absolutely adores this place and it makes it on our "to do list" every time he visits from Connecticut.
If you haven't been to Cactus, you must check it out! -
Review from Michelle S.
Houston, TX
4/13/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Awesome place to pick up your music in whatever format you prefer.
What I really like about this place is the performances and events they host.
Staff is pretty friendly and knowledgeable.
Also they have a lot of cool stuff just laying around like art work, posters, gold records, etc. -
Review from Joe B.
Boulder, CO
10/3/2011
Cactus records in not great. The vinyl selection is all i was interested in and cactus' effort at a vinyl section is an epic fail. The selection is pathetic. It feels like your brousing at a garage sale at a suburban split level. Tons of poor condition classic rock. Nothing interesting or collectible. I asked for 90s vinyl and the dude looked at me like i was retarded...he had no clue how to answer. The new vinyl was your standard new b.s. stuff and re-issues and it is overpriced. The classical section was a total joke and waaaaay over priced. I didnt look at cds so maybe this is where cactus excels...who knows or cares.
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Review from Polly R.
12/4/2010
I really like this place, although I only checked out the vinyl.
I've been able to find some good albums for under 10 bucks, and the staff is so very nice. Perhaps the rest of the store is a different story, but if the product I am in specifically for meets my needs, then I am happy.
I visited two other record stores the same day prior to this one, and Cactus takes the top spot for now. The sugar skulls help, too.. I'm such a sucker for fun decor like that.Listed in: "Fun", It's Possible!
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Review from Ryan S.
7/9/2010 8 Check-ins Here
So we were looking to pick up a gift for a family member--who happens to be a musician and loves all things music. To accomplish this, we needed to find a hip record store--so that we may find something he couldn't pick up at any place selling CDs. Additionally, we were also hoping that it would be a place we could add to the list to take visitors--such as this family member who would enjoy wandering around a cool record store for a little while.
Based upon the reviews of the place I was sold. Immediately we found a good gift, but wandered around a little bit more. To our enjoyment, we were invited into the "Record Ranch" where there was a meet and great with the band Free Energy. They were playing their music in the ranch, and Saint Arnold's brews were being poured for customers. Seriously??? You know we are coming back! We purchased a Free Energy CD in support; somehow I did not cave into my cravings for a delicious beer (a trip to the gym was to follow this mission), but I will be back soon to indulge!Listed in: Houston Visitor's Guide
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Review from Kari M.
9/19/2010
Look - I know it's trendy to love Cactus. I just can't do it. I used to back in 2003 when I never knew of any other record store with Indie music.
Now, I know my options. I know I don't need to pay over 15 dollars a cd. Yes they have some rare bands that you can't find at Best Buy or some mainstream place. There is a cool vibe here, reminds me of a baby cousin to Waterloo. The difference is that Waterloo wasn't completely over priced, and it wasn't falling apart.
I really wish they never would have moved from their old location. That was the best place, it was easy to find things and had a cleaner feel to it. When I was here this week it had massive wooden boards on the ground that I almost tripped on, it's dark in some corners and I couldn't really see well.
We bought a used cd for less than other places here though, and some cool posters and knick knacks. But when it comes to actual prices on music, I'd rather go to Soundwaves. -
Review from Jason G.
Kemah, TX
8/18/2010
I'm very disenchanted with this place especially when it comes to the way they operate their vinyl sales. Not impressed with the selection of the used Rock/Pop catalog at all and the only time I found something worthwhile (Ultimate Spinach's second album) it was on the shelf sans price tag and the cashier wouldn't sell it or price it himself. I left my name and number for a phone call that never came. If you are looking for new reissues they have a good variety but are way over priced. You'd be better off going to any of their competitors in the area in my opinion.
The selection of Jazz albums is this place's only saving grace....and maybe the free beer. -
Review from Sergio S.
Houston, TX
I actually came here because a friend told me I should check out the artist on display. I wasn't a fan of the old Cactus Music location, so I didn't think much of going to this one. I was there for the art, but man . . . I'd forgotten what how cool a real record store can be!
The first thing that caught my eye was the vinyl section . . . in fact, it's the only part of the store I really hung out in. I timidly asked if I could listen to a few records and the guy let me loose on the dual turntable set up. "Play the records as loud as you want." Amazing! I didn't even get to the rest of the store, but it's massive and completely cool.
Definitely a cool place! -
Review from Danielle S.
Houston, TX
2/1/2009
I can't believe it's taken me so long to visit the new incarnation of this Houston institution. I was a regular at Cactus thanks to a boyfriend who collected vinyl records, and more afternoons than I care to recall were spent peering over his shoulder as he flipped through the stacks. When we stopped seeing each other I stopped seeing Cactus, and I was vaguely aware that the old place closed up shop and shortly afterward a new location was announced.
Ironically enough, being pushed out of the old space is probably the best thing that could've happened to Cactus. The new space is just as big as the old store, if not bigger, and has an entire room dedicated to vinyl, both vintage and new. There's actually a stage for the occasional in-store performances. The movie rentals are out and they've focused their business down to the music, though there's a selection of silly toys and other novelty items that kept me interested long after I was finished looking through the music. Everything in general looks fresher and more modern, and they've got a great motif going with the Day of the Dead sugar skulls, thanks to the featured artist that's showing his work in the Record Ranch room.
It may have taken me a while to stop by, but less time will definitely elapse between visits now that I know how great the new layout is. Good to have you back, Cactus. You're a Houston classic.Listed in: Musician's Friend
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Review from Gretchen P.
Houston, TX
10/23/2008
Cactus is a Texas musical institution. No, no, it is a musical and social destination.
When I first heard that The (should have just stuck with grocery stores) Weingarten's were in essence shutting down one of Houston's greatest assets in 2006, my heart broke. Cactus Records was a place that provided me with music and movies when I was in high school and beyond. It was my favorite place to discover "new" bands, find out when they were coming to town and where they were going to play. Find the latest cd of that local band I'd seen the night before or that random soundtrack to that obscure movie that I couldn't find anywhere else. Rent quite a few indie movies, and cheaply, too. Hang out with that too cool for school audiophile friend who just happened to work there. Listen to one of the coolest, free-est jukeboxes in town.
Yes, there WAS Sound Exchange, but that place didn't have much of a personality and no matter who you were, you always felt like you didn't belong there. Cactus tangibly exuded cool from every rpm of its being. (The new locale is well on its way to also exuding cool, it just needs a little more time to steep.)
Alas, in the late summer of 2007 I began to hear rumors that Cactus was re-emerging quite near its home. It seemed that was all anyone was talking about. The city was abuzz. A few months later, in November, it joyously reopened. I had to go see for myself; I visited shortly before its grand opening. It was sparse, in fact the employees were still unpacking and alphabetizing the cds in the familiar cd racks.
As the year has gone by, I've visited frequently; watched as more and more life has been resuscitated to this Houston gem. I love that the space is larger than the previous store. There is a nice-sized stage for live in-store performances. A growing cd and dvd selection.
The entire room of vinyl is awesome. They call it the Record Ranch. The selection is growing by the week. A few months ago it was pretty paltry. As of my visit a couple of days ago, I believe it too has a pulse. A really cool thing I discovered on this past visit, the room has its own turntables and sound system. You can listen to your record before you buy it over well balanced speakers as opposed to some cheap, broken, nasty headphones. It doesn't play in the entire store, just The Ranch.
The thing I miss most from the old store is the jukebox. While Cat Stevens provides pleasant background music on a Sunday afternoon, the jukebox was awesome to program with MY selection of songs.
As a side note, does anyone think my work would mind me putting a Stooges poster in my office? Because I have my eye on a rather awesome one...Listed in: Why Are You in a Strip Mall?, I Wanna Rock!
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Review from Chris S.
Seattle, WA
5/22/2008 1 photo
Cactus Music is my new vice.
I know in the age of technology and instant web access, music stores are a dying breed (Damn you iTunes). But this little gem is a "must-go" for any music lover.
I myself collect vinyl, and boy do these guys have a selection! A dedicated room in fact, not to mention box after box after box of "sale" records line one wall.
These guys have it all: LARGE selection. Rare and obscure EP's. Variety of old and new. Live shows from time to time. Friendly and helpful staff. Good selection of movies and live show DVDs. Random *goodies*. And a overall excellent vibe.
Though I had never been, I hear that they used to be open, then closed, and now re-opened or something along those lines. Whatever the case: they did it right this time!
I stopped in after work (considering it's only a few blocks from my house I'll probably be doing that more often) a couple weeks ago out of curiosity and was in pure nirvana. What I planned on being a short 15 minute stop-in became a 2-hour journey, and I really didn't want to leave. ....or should I say I didn't want to but my wallet did. ;-)
I could ramble on and on here, but I'll try and spare you.
Moral of the story: Go to Cactus Music, enjoy and thank me later.Listed in: A Geeks Electronic Shopping…
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Review from Cory O.
Houston, TX
5/23/2008
Let me preface this by saying that I am not a music person. In fact, I tend to find one cd that I like and play it nonstop for about four months and then do the same thing with the next cd.
That being said, I was pretty impressed with Cactus. It was smaller than what I thought it would be considering it is somewhat legendary in Houston, but it had what it needed. The music was actually organized well (and by well, I mean that someone knew their alphabet) which is a major plus. They had a pretty extensive vinyl section if you're into that. And they play live music once in a while.
If I were a music lover, this would be my haven. Unfortunately, I was looking for the one band that I love and they were all out of their cds and I left heartbroken. Okay, not really since I walked out with the new Neil Diamond cd (hey, don't knock it--it is actually pretty good) for the oh-so-fabulous price of $11. I'm not sure I would've saved any money buying it off of iTunes which is generally my litmus test. Now, if only the staff didn't have that tinge of too-cool-for-school vibe that all music freaks have (ahem, yes, I'm looking at you, City of Austin). -
Review from DA C.
Houston, TX
4/2/2010
While one could complain about the prices, especially when most things are $10 online, there's definitely something to be said about an old-school record store that caters to everyone, and still gives crate diggers something to look forward to.
The free in-store concerts, held almost every weekend, are special. -
Review from Justin F.
Houston, TX
7/15/2009
Ok so when I walked in the door today, I got exactly what I was expecting... an independent music shop. For anybody who has never been in an independent music shop they are all kind of the same: Ok lighting, grey commercial carpet, and employees who will judge you based on what you looking for... jk kind of. This independent spirit is the reason exactly why I like Cactus. Cactus is everything that a place like Best Buy is not. Best Buy is great b/c they can offer a good value on large and expensive products (eg lcd tv) but what they lack employees who really care about their offered product .
Cactus have a large CD selection, but what really sets them apart is the fact that they have large vinyl selection. My favorite part about Cactus however, was their used CD selection. They have a large amount of used CDs available for about six to seven dollars. This worked great b/c it let me replace a couple of cds that I let friends borrow and never got back. Another cool thing I saw was a poster on the wall advertising some in store performances(small local bands) with free Saint Arnold beer.
I saw a comparison to Waterloo and I have to say that I agree Waterloo is better. With that said let me add a note: I have lived in four different regions of the US in the last 8 years and the first thing I look for when I move is a good bar and music store. Waterloo tops the list for any independent music store I have been in. I think this is due to it being located in Austin aka "Live Music Capital" where they have a very large demand that allows them to stock more indie bands. -
Review from Cameron B.
Houston, TX
1/11/2011
I have been searching for a 2 particular Texas Songwriter CDs for a few weeks now and Cactus music had both CDs I was looking for. It was so nice to walk into an old fashioned record store with a friendly staff. CDs may not be as popular these days as they used to be, but when an actual album is so much better when giving gifts. An iTunes gift card just doesn't do the trick.
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Review from Robb Z.
Spring, TX
5/24/2009
This is the BEST record store in Houston, BY FAR. The staff are all very helpful and will make sure you leave with exactly what you're looking for, and probably a few more things!
The newer location has everything that you'd expect from the old location except they removed the video rental section (go to Movies! the Store for that!) and added a room with nothing but vinyl.
Make your journey down there now! -
Review from Lisa O.
Updated - 1/5/2011
Had a great time sifting through the vinyl here with a newfound friend in a stranger, overall found a number of great finds at prices in the $4-5 range. There are a few pricier records but not by much. I consistently love this place, first for the cds and staff but now for the records as well!
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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11/5/2009
This is the independent record shop you've been looking for in Houston!
**Excellent selection
… Read more »
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Review from Jeff D.
Austin, TX
1/19/2011
I went in yesterday, after hearing from a friend a few weeks back that Cactus had reopened. Meh... I felt like I was in someone's musty basement, not a record store. I loved the old place, and was excited to hear that there was a new place, but I guess I prefer the memories. Oh, well, I live in Austin, and Waterloo ROCKS!
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Review from Ryan H.
Sugar Land, TX
7/31/2009
Cactus has been a pillar of Houston music as long as I can remember. I've learned about new music from here, seen great live music from here, buy all my music from here and love the new(ish) location!
The staff does a great job of helping if you need it and let you alone to just browse for hours if you need it. My only wish is that it would be bigger! -
Review from Elyssa O.
Tomball, TX
4/29/2010
Had to rate in the middle for vinyl - not much of a selection & I've found better deals elsewhere. Yes, they have a big room dedicated but I was able to breeze through. I'm a digger! This is the place to go If you're looking for hard to find indie Cd's at reasonable prices.
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Review from W. Ross W.
Houston, TX
12/13/2008
Hey a record store... hey an independent record store ... one with a thirty year history in Houston .... come on down. Cactus is also a perennial cd release party location. It is very nice to have a brick and mortar connection between people that buy music and the people that make it. Support the Cactus. Be the Cactus.
Listed in: Born to Shop
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Review from Kristin L.
San Antonio, TX
5/1/2009
Not so impressed. Maybe I am just too used to Waterloo in Austin, but this place just didn't really live up to its reviews. I have been twice in the past month and found the same situation every time. They didn't have most of the artists that I was looking for, although they could have been sold-out. The place is a mess though. And the employees seem like they just rolled out of bed and have just about as much desire to be there as the small dog trapped in the back office. And seriously, the cash register is at least 15 years old. It looks like the owners have a great idea and they just haven't made the last leap to get this music store up to par. But, I would rather shop at Cactus than a major chain.
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Review from LIZANIA S.
Houston, TX
5/5/2009
OMG!!! I had no idea that cactus music moved (I have been hiding under a rock I think), Growing up in the West Alabama neighborhood my friends and I would walk to this place to buy and collect the single vinyl records back in the late 70's and early 80's every Friday (allowance day). I had awesome memories from that place with my childhood friends that are still my friends of today... I am rating the old location, haven't been to the new location....
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Review from Paul S.
Houston, TX
7/26/2008
So nice to see a real record store still thriving. (Or at least surviving.) Great selection of all kinds of music. Reminds me of all those independent record and CD stores like Rhino Records and Amoeba back in California in ancient history (the 20th century). And the in-store mini-concerts at Cactus are a nice bonus - hey, with free beer!
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Review from David R.
Houston, TX
7/16/2010
I would probably give this store 2 1/2 stars. The thing that I do not like about this store is that they sell bootleg DVDs of live music shows. They have some of them in packaging that makes them look like regular concert DVDs but when you get them home and open them up they are recorded on blank DVDS and the concerts are cheap bootleg recordings. I bought some of The Ramones and The Misfits like this. Since then I have discovered some of their concert DVDS even have cheap ass color copy covers that look like the ink was running low while printing the covers! How cheap and tacky! Its kind of amazing and hypocritical to complain about people downloading free music and putting music stores out of business when your store is selling concert DVDS that look like they were downloaded off the internet and put into cheap packaging and sold at retail prices. Especially since these "bootleg" concerts can easily be downloaded for free on the internet. I don't know if Cactus buys these bootleg DVDS or makes them themselves. Other than that the CDS are overpriced. I can buy any CD in this store used off of Amazon for way cheaper. Why pay full price? A friend is into obscure music and he says they don't ever have any of the music he is looking for or have even heard of it. The vinyl section is okay and it is cool that you can play the records in the store. But a lot of the records again or common mainstream stuff than can be bought at Half Price Books cheaper or at a Garage sale around town or Flea Market. I like the art in the place and the free beer when there are free in store live music performances. That is the only reason to go here! Oh I do like all the funny tacky gifts they sell but most of it is useless stuff not really worth buying when you stop and think about it. Especially in this economy. In fairness I am really not a record store or even a browsing shopper kind of guy. I prefer the internet. I just search, find what I want, click and the stuff is mailed to me. The people working the register are usually friendly when I have gone. Oh yeah they have a bathroom open to the public. That is something nice in this rude era we live in.
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Review from Lisa T.
Houston, TX
3/5/2009
cute dig. i love how the stock up on indie labels. =)
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Review from Mike S.
Houston, TX
7/31/2009
Cactus Music is a true gem for the Houston music scene. I sure miss that old store on Shepherd, and I'm grateful it continues on in a smaller setting. The in store shows are great! The selection of CD, vinyl etc. still continues to amaze me. I'm grateful for their support of local acts as well as touring shows. Jack Ingram, Bruce Robison, and Kelly Willis, Allison Moorer, and Steve Earle are among the many artists who have graced the Cactus store stage. Go for one of the shows and enjoy the free beer.
