Cactus Music

Houston’s oldest independent music store with over 40 years service.

Social scientists speak of “third places,” by which they mean informal anchors to community life. These places are neither home's first place nor work's second, but somewhere in the middle... Especially when it hosted in-store concerts, Cactus functioned as a third place for a good portion of Houston’s music scene, a convivial meeting spot that was neither home nor a bar. [...] Where else could you enjoy free music and bevies with dozens of your closest friends? – John Nova Lomax‍

The roots of this business springs from the Daily music family and the legendary record man, Pappy Daily, the founder of D Records and Starday Records. Pappy's sons, HW "Bud" Daily and Don Daily, opened Cactus in 1975 and it was one of the country's first music super stores. Now co-owner Quinn Bishop, together with a dedicated and longstanding team of friendly, music-knowledge-filled folks, run the 5,800 square foot location at 2110 Portsmouth and S. Shepherd.

Cactus Music has an extensive selection of almost every physical format, historic memorabilia, hard-to-find items and music-related gifts and products. Cactus Music also showcases local, regional and national talent on its stage with weekly in-store performances.

The Record Ranch, located inside Cactus Music as an ode to the original store in the Heights (Daily's Record Ranch), is a 1800 square-foot vinyl-only store and art gallery offering a unique shopping experience people who love records. In addition to thousands of new and used records, The Record Ranch gallery presents ongoing exhibits featuring music-related artwork.