Young rockers hit the high notes at new vintage goods shop Kavanagh

Well, I had the delight of stumbling onto a new used goods store in NDG recently and, wow, what a find! Kavanagh (5922 Sherbrooke West) is a real treasure trove of cool stuff and I guarantee you will walk in and spend at least a half hour rummaging through the small but interesting space. From leather boots and retro jackets to hats of all kinds, antiques and vintage musical equipment (there’s a really funky old drum kit from the 1920s that I just adore), I would be surprised if you don’t walk out clutching something cherished in your hands.

The shop, which opened almost three months ago, is the brainchild of two young musicians, Ryan Setton and Beau Kavanagh, although it was Kavanagh’s father, a long-time antique dealer, who ensured that this type of business acumen was in his son’s blood. “Yeah, it runs in the family and we have accumulated a lot of stuff over the years, so this kinda made sense,” Kavanagh told me.

Kavanagh and Setton front the fledgling band Rebel Roadside Attraction, after retiring their previous ensemble Broken Hearted, so music has them working to a joint beat. But Kavanagh previously owned Cafe Katz in the lobby of the old RCA building in St. Henri, so plans are in the works to sell his excellent coffee in the near future, brewed on a 1920s Victoria Arduini espresso machine. “I have always been an avid reader of The Monitor, and the West End Chronicle before that, and I fully support any efforts to bring our NDG community closer together,” Setton added. “This store has become a meeting place of sorts and we are pleased to offer an atmosphere that enables people to chill.”

Indeed, I watched as a pretty young woman tried on some vintage clothing and had a good laugh with her friend. What is most charming is that the store attracts people of all ages. “We have a lot of people in their fifties and older coming in to look around,” Setton said. “They seem to find comfort discovering items that they grew up with and that are still meaningful to them.”

I have to admit that I did not have a lot of time to talk to the owners while I was there, as they were too busy with clients to accord me all the time I required. But I had enough time to peruse the stock to love what I saw and to soak in the unique atmosphere. Kavanagh provides a unique new take to the business of aged inventory. The young will relish the old and the old will feel young again, so everyone’s a winner.