Lady Gaga and Lil Wayne are not the first recording artists someone would see walking into Tequila Sunrise Records on Sixth and Girard. That’s how owner and sole employee Anthony Vodges said he wants it.
The music store offers customers various genres of music, but Vodges has chosen dance, psychedelic rock and international music.
Vodges said he understands that the Internet has changed the way people listen to and purchase music. Downloading has become the easiest way for people to listen to their favorite artists, but Vodges said he believes the longevity and physical nature of a record makes his store appealing.
“Records aren’t like food because they don’t go bad.”
Having been a record collector since his teens and working in records store throughout his life, Vodges said he is confident in the music he picks to sell.
He said that while the Internet can hurt sales, he uses it to his advantage to select what records to sell. It especially helps with his international selection.
“I don’t look at blogs a lot, but along with records labels I like to look in shops,” Vodges said. “There are certain record shops in London or Tokyo that are focused in their taste and I check their website to see what they stock.”
While he may not see as much foot traffic as a chain store, he prefers the niche aspect of his business.
“Styles and trends are perishable, but people can come in and find something they’ve never heard of before.”
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