This is a typical day in the closing weeks of Revolver Records’ time as a staple of the Roosevelt Row Neighborhood, which is closing after 11 years of business.
“Part of the reason why we ended up doing what we did down there was because of the Phoenix art scene in general,” store owner TJ Jordan said. “With the First Friday and everything, our number one goal in doing the Roosevelt Revolver was to support the arts scene. I feel like we have impacted it.”
The store is known for buying and selling any genre of music and hosting local bands on First Friday. The store also sold other items like DVDs, CDs, and vintage technology like tape decks and 8-track players.
Connor Descheemaker,* who used to manage performances and shows for musical artists in Phoenix, said Revolver was pivotal during a transformative time in downtown Phoenix.
“It was a good thing to have right in the neighborhood, especially during the 2000s to 2010 transitions that were happening in the music scene. Having a spot like that was a good anchor for the neighborhood,” Descheemaker said.
Despite the interest of new music and records, Jordan blames the closing on the transition from records to digital streaming.
“There has been a sharp decline in modern music or the cultivation of physical media, whether it’s records or cd’s and whatnot,” he said. “It has turned toward the digital. It’s such a huge change that I feel like… that size and magnitude of record store is just doesn’t work financially anymore.”
Brendan H., who declined to give his full last name, was an employee at Revolver for two and a half years and agrees the decline of the store is due to people not being interested in records as much as they used to be.
“When we have new arrivals or big new collections, they always go quickly and the demand for the cool stuff is still there. Unfortunately, half of the records that exist in the world are valueless or just sit there since there is no demand for them,” he said. “You have to have stuff like Led Zeppelin or punk metal to cover you overhead, and overhead is bad these days.”
Even with multiple genres and products other than records, Brendan believes the declining interest of older records cannot support the business.
“There just hasn’t been enough people in the last few years, even among those returning customers who would consistently come in, to hold up the business, this big business, and all of this stock,” Brendan said.
When the store first opened, Descheemaker believes Revolver Records operated as a kind of incubator for employees and for artists.
“Revolver offered opportunities to people who were working there at a given time,” Descheemaker said. “Local artists would sell their work there or be able to put on shows.”
Although Revolver Records will leave Roosevelt Row behind, Jordan is not giving up on his businesses. This past summer, Jordan started planning on adding a coffee spot and stage to his current store. But with the end of his lease approaching, and the increasing minimum wage for employees not being covered by sales, Jordan decided to open Mojave Records & Coffee.
The new store is located in Arcadia, on Thomas Road and 48th Street. With both music and coffee, and a significantly smaller building, Jordan believes Mojave Coffee & Records will be a more successful follow-up to Revolver.
“It’s separate business and entity. This business model will be much more holistic and community oriented,” he said.
Revolver Records will have one last First Friday in February, and has a store wide sale until its closing. With its final closing, Jordan hopes people will remember the store as it was and, peacefully, say goodbye.
“It’s never coming back… things in life do not last forever and we should appreciate them while we have them,” Jordan said.
*Editor’s Note: Connor Descheemaker was previously a member of the Downtown Devil staff. He did not contribute to the reporting or editing of this story.
Contact the reporter at ldiethel@asu.edu
Lisa Diethelm is the Politics editor for the Downtown Devil while she studies at The Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication in downtown Phoenix. She grew up in California and started her journalism career in high school.
