https://vimeo.com/87647105]
“Sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name,” Gary Portony sang for the popular ’80s TV show “Cheers.” That’s the feeling some customers get the second they walk through the doors of Pat’s Music, where one of the three brothers who run the place will probably recognize them. You can stop in once a week or once in awhile, and odds are they will know who you are.
The music store, established in 1939, is located at the corner of Frankford and Cottman avenues. They had a second location in Bensalem, but times got tough, and they unfortunately had to close.
“It had been open almost 21 years,” said Paul Domanico, one of the owners of the store, which closed in July 2013. Since then, Paul and his brothers, Pat and Bob, have been focused on maintaining the location in Northeast Philadelphia – three siblings keeping the family name alive and strong.
Record shops are few and far between, especially in the Northeast. There are very few places that offer as much as Pat’s; it has a little something for everyone. And behind the counter sit three music nerds who know a great deal about everything music-related. From the newest Denon DJ product to private guitar lessons, they offer it all.
Pat’s does a great deal of business for DJ companies, from servicing equipment to supplying the newest remixed CD series or DJ-only CD products. When it comes to service, they will take of any product you bought from them and repair it.
“I have been going there for three decades,” said Craig Sumsky, owner of Cutting Edge Entertainment and longtime Pat’s patron. “I have seen record stores come and go, and this is the only place left that actually knows what they are talking about. Nothing beats their knowledge and experience.”
Pat’s has spent 75 years in the Northeast community. The brothers found their recipe for success by providing an experience and knowledge of music that many customers appreciate.
Text and images by Steve Foltz
Be the first to comment