Ultra Pop Celebrates Five Years in the Highlands

Ultra Pop became a staple in Louisville  for its eccentric style and selection of art books, vinyl toys and pop culture figurines from the US and Japan. This store is also one of the only (if not the only) place to purchase Mishka brand clothing. On July 7, Ultra Pop celebrated five years of business in Louisville. While the store may have officially opened its doors to the public on July 2, 2007, proprietor Paul LePree worked happily through the day reminding everyone of the festivities.

Ultra Pop in the Highlands celebrated it's five year anniversary. Customers came through store, drank outside and got tattoos to celebrate throughout the entire day.

Paul LePree worked in record stores, retail relations and retail management before living his dream of owning a store that shared his passion for toys, “low brow” art  and pop culture. LePree embodies his passions wearing a Mishka tank top, stylish glasses and having arms tattooed numerous times.

His store is decorated from wall to wall. Japanese import toys are stacked in the front and to the right. Various art and design books cover the tables in the middle. The left wall is blanketed in posters and prints available for purchase. Somehow this eccentric style and art defines the personality of Ultra Pop.

When the festivities truly start some patrons bring cake and cupcakes iced in black and red with pentagrams and other satanic symbols. No customer is put off by these designs but what they do is take pictures.  Other customers bring beverages for the coolers on the floor near the front then stand out front of the shop talking and drinking.

Louisville rock group, Coliseum played a quick and heavy concert in front of Tattoo Salvation as part of Ultra Pop's fifth year anniversary.

Some of the crowd rests in front of Ultra Pop’s next door neighbor, Tattoo Salvation. Tattoo Salvation participated in the celebration by at first offering discounted tattoos featuring Ultra Pop inspired images of Japanese pop culture and of course the Ultra Pop logo. As night fell, Tattoo Salvation’s the front porch became a stage for a rock concert.

A crowd of a little over 100 congregated in the parking lanes of Bardstown Road to watch Coliseum play a brief concert to end the day at Ultra Pop. The crowd was large enough to the point that employees of Ultra Pop began lining the crowd closer to the stage to keep them out of the road. Coliseum is a metal, punk and rock band that got their start in Louisville in 2003 and has since released three albums and went on world tours. Their show began at 10 p.m. The set  may have been short (approximately 20 minutes) but the crowd head banged and cheered along anyways. Before playing their last song, guitar and vocalist Ryan Patterson thanked the crowd for the “weird night,” laughed and began playing again.

After the concert, the crowd dispersed to various after parties and other late night plans.