When Indianapolis musical guru/performer/veteran/promoter John Zeps was presented with the thought of doing something with his life that did not involve music, he was quick to respond with "I really don't think so."

"Music is what I am. Everything involving it just kind of falls into place for me naturally," he said. "It's what keeps me going."

Zeps' love (or obsession; either works) with music is what led him to his current position today-the owner of Vibes Records. Zeps opened the first store in the Castleton area around eight years ago and just recently opened a new location (Vibes Two) at 1051 E. 54th Street.

While the property "fronts" as a record store to casual traffic, Zeps is working overtime to transform the building into somewhat of a commune for local musicians an artists.

"I really want this Vibes to become a gathering place for musicians and artists," he said. "While I definitely have more visibility in Castleton, this is kind of a destination location.

"The community is behind me on this. I just hope that I can branch off a little more and get more people coming in. . . Many local musicians already come here on a regular basis."

Zeps continued by mentioning that even though his record store offers quite an eclectic selection of CDs and collectible vinyl, the record selling business is an extremely competitive market to be involved in.

"We have a lot of rare vinyl-those are hard to come by," he said. "Most chain stores don't even bother to carry vinyl anymore, so we are trying to hit that market pretty hard.

"I know I don't have a huge selection of CDs in here, but we are trying our best to tap into all forms of music."

Beyond CDs and vinyl, the store also boasts an impressive selection of vintage guitars and amps that can be purchased at reasonable prices, as well as a selection of used gear, CDs and vinyl.

"If you are looking to sell CDs, vinyl or any gear, this is the place to come," Zeps said. "We just want to make sure we have something for everyone who walks in the store."

If the love of local independent record stores is not enough for someone to make their way to the SoBro Vibes, the love of live music and the perfect opportunity for rehearsal space should attract their attention.

"Before I took over the building, it was Fun House Recording," Zeps said. "I had so much history with the building that it seemed to be the perfect fit."

The building was a "perfect fit" for something that Zeps said he had always wanted to have-a place where bands could come and rehearse at a very reasonable price.

For $10 an hour, bands can rent out the rehearsal space located in the central part of the building. Vibes even provides all the necessary equipment (amplifiers, cords, a PA, etc.) for musicians, if needed.

Zeps said he already has around seven bands practicing in the building and more have already expressed interest.

The final area hidden from storefront traffic is the Vibes "backroom," an open stage area where Zeps will (and already is) hold concerts, art shows and a possible movie night. Zeps said that if anyone is interested in booking the backroom for a show or event, they should contact Brandon Beaver (of the local act We Are Hex) who currently works at the Castleton Vibes (576-0404). For a listing of events taking place in the backroom over the next couple of months, or any other information on the store itself, check out the Vibes MySpace page (www.myspace.com/vibesrecords).

The store is also home to guitar lessons via local musician Sean McGary (513-602-6292) and clothing and handbags from local designer Dark Vapour.

If the Vibes stores themselves are yet to become a staple of the Indianapolis music scene, it cannot be denied that Zeps himself is not already. His history of bands he played for or was involved with reads like a study sheet for an Indianapolis music knowledge test.

"I started playing in bands in the late 70s," he said. "My first show was at Ben Davis Junior High School.

"Then I started playing in kind of metal-glam bands in the early 80s. . . Then moved on to playing hardcore in 1985 with the band Transgression."

Transgression released an album overseas and played with numerous crucial hardcore bands of their era, including Dirty Rotten Imbeciles and Death Angels.*

After playing with Transgression, Zeps found himself a member of four bands that all made their mark on the Indianapolis music scene.

"I ended up joining a band called Soul Paint and then Acid Green," he said. "I then joined Ice Nine and, with a couple of guys from that band and others, we formed Burn It Down, a band that I did an extensive amount of touring with.

"Then there was Amongst the Swarm, Lukewarm Bodies (at best), Majhas and now my current project, Action Strasse (check them out: www.myspace.com/actionstrassemusic)."

Zeps' obvious obsession with music has taken him all over the country and beyond, but he still calls Broad Ripple home and believes there will always be an audience for independent record stores.

"I have had return customers for over eight years now," he said. "This store is just in the humble beginnings of what I hope to turn into a superstore.

"The place is really catching on with the community, and I feel the more we do in the backroom, the more people will realize where we are and what we are."