Tempe record store, Eastside Records, re-opens after closing in 2010. The 23-year-old business plans to thrive in its new location on 7th Street and Forest Avenue. (Photo by Kurtis Semph)Eastside Records, a local music store that closed its doors in 2010, reopened Oct. 5 at a new location on 7th Street and Forest Avenue in Tempe.
The original store was popular with vinyl lovers for more than 23 years.
Owner Michael Pawlicki has been in the record-selling business since the store initially opened in 1987.
He said the original shop closed because the primary owner of the old location wasn’t interested in running the store anymore.
“The business has changed a lot over the years,” Pawlicki said. “You really have to like what you do and work to make it.”
Pawlicki said the rising popularity of digital music has had an enormous effect on record sales.
Pawlicki opened a temporary store, The Ghost of Eastside Records, in December 2011. The shop had a six-month run before closing in May in preparation for the new, permanent store’s opening.
Pawlicki said he chose the newest location because of the building’s condition, friendly realtors and proximity to the ASU campus.
He said the ongoing construction of new apartment complexes in the area should bring in more business.
“We have an amazing amount of foot traffic,” Pawlicki said. “We were very busy at first. Now the students are starting to come in piece by piece.”
Eastside Records has an extensive vinyl collection, ranging from old school hip-hop to classic rock and punk.
The store also sells CDs and cassettes.
Digital culture junior Diego Moreno said Eastside Records was the first record store he visited since moving to Arizona.
“I came in here for the very first time just to see what they had,” Moreno said. “I don’t have resources to listen to vinyl, so I decided to see what CDs they are selling.”
Biological design doctorate student Brad Lusk said he shops specifically for vinyl because he prefers the sound quality of records to CDs or digital music.
“Sometimes when studios record CDs, they push to make the music louder, which causes the music to lose dynamic range,” Lusk said. “Also, I like the artwork that is included in the vinyl. It’s visually more appealing than with CDs.”
Eastside Records is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 6 p.m.
Reach the reporter at amy.edelen@asu.edu
