The projects that most easily capture my attention are the ones built with a clear intention to positively impact others. So when I met Quentin Scherr, the owner of QTones Music, and we started talking about his space and his vision for it, I was immediately excited.
Quentin isn’t just running a record store, he’s building something meant to serve the community.
QTones Music has been open since August 2025 and is located at the bottom of the down escalator inside Northwoods Mall.
The shop offers a thoughtful mix of new and vintage vinyl, along with turntables, speakers, and audio accessories.
One fun feature that made me a little nostalgic was the listening station that lets you hear records before you buy them.
Find what you want and take a listen. And if they don’t have what you’re looking for, they’re happy to order it.
Beyond using the space for a retail store, QTones regularly hosts acoustic shows, and holds open mics the 2nd and 4th Saturday of every month, creating another welcoming performance space for local artists.
The show I attended featured three local singer-songwriters. First up was Chris Pemberton, followed by Pete Wald with Mike Reuschel sitting in on trumpet for a couple of songs. Then we saw Brett Haley Jr. who won 2nd place at the Acoustic Originals Showdown last year at the Big Picture Peoria Festival!
Here are three videos from the night.
You’ll find more on our YouTube Channel soon!
The show was great, and the gathering of those who came to play and those who came to watch served as a great example of how naturally the space supports collaboration and connection.
Scroll through more photos of the show and the space here:
Due to a technical glitch, Q Tones Music isn’t on Facebook at the moment, but you can find them on Instagram. Peoria Music Live has also added QTones to our open mic list and will be keeping an eye out for artist-created event pages as more shows are announced.
If you love vinyl, local music, or community-centered spaces, Q Tones Music is absolutely worth a visit… hope to see you there soon!
