BRADENTON, FL — It’s “surreal” for proprietor Douglas Holland as Bradenton’s Jerk Dog Records celebrates a decade in business.
“‘Surreal’ is the right word because it doesn’t seem like it’s been that long,” he informed Patch. “It takes me a while to realize it sometimes. ‘When did I start this? Has it really been 10 years?’”
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To honor his 10 years of promoting vinyl information with a deal with music outdoors the mainstream — storage rock, punk, steel, jazz, nation and indie — within the Village of the Artshe’ll host a party and concert Saturday eveningbeginning at 6 p.m., on the close by Birdrock Taco Shack. The occasion will function native acts, together with the Burke Brothers from Have Gun Will Travel, Tiger 54, Teen Cobra, Sir Sympathy and Holland’s personal band, Las Nadas.
The present will function a profit for ALSO Youthwhich helps and empowers LGBTQ+ youth ages 10 to 24 in Florida.
Holland and his spouse, Valeri Borstelmann, moved into their home greater than 20 years in the past, simply as the humanities district was forming.
With a authorized business overlay, the Village of the Arts, established in 1999, enjoys a stay/work/play environment. The addition of the humanities has rejuvenated a once-neglected neighborhood.
Initially, the couple used the storage and different rooms at their home at 1119 twelfth Street West as an artwork studio and gallery to showcase Borstelmann’s art work. Eventually, her pursuits turned to different inventive initiatives, together with display printing and founding the Bradentucky Bombers Roller Derby league.
Holland got here up with the concept of opening a small file store within the area whereas attending Gonerfest, a storage rock music competition hosted by Goner Records in Memphis, Tennessee.
“There were tons of people buying records and they were buying records of music in the garage genre and of punk bands. Music I loved that nobody down here was carrying,” he stated. “That was my first ‘a-ha’ moment. If nobody else is doing this, maybe I can be the store that I want to see? My first goal was to have music that I saw a void in and I’ve expanded a ton since then.”
He didn’t instantly soar into the business; he began slowly, working his full-time job as a plumber and opening when he may.
“It just evolved. I started doing first Friday (art walk) once a month. When I saw the interest, I said, ok, I’ll do Saturday and then added Wednesday,” Holland stated, including, “I was a jump ahead of the vinyl resurgence by a few years.”
Now, 10 years later, he’ll stop his plumbing job and dedicate himself full-time to the store, which beginning in July will probably be open day by day. The timing is true, as gross sales have picked up at Jerk Dog after dropping off in the course of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It’s still a risk, but a calculated one,” he stated. “We’re financially in a good place and the store seems to be on an upswing in interest and sales. Also, our daughter is graduating from college … Looks like now is as good a time as any.”
He seems to be ahead to leaving his bodily demanding profession to deal with the music and the shop that he loves.
“I’m on the backside of 50 pushing 60,” Holland stated. “In a few years, I’ll be collecting retirement benefits. The work I do is physically challenging and exceedingly tiring. I’d like to not go into my retirement years with chronic aches and pains that don’t go away.”
While there are a number of north of the world in St. Petersburg and Tampa, Jerk Dog is without doubt one of the few file shops specializing in vinyl in Manatee and Sarasota counties, he stated. “I’m still kind of shocked that there hasn’t been a primarily vinyl record store.”
But his retailer has a distinct segment focus, he added. “Because I’m small, I can’t be everything to everybody. There was a store in Samoset that was primarily underground hip hop, but they’re long gone.”
There’s additionally a jazz-focused store in Sarasota, Daddy O’s Record Rack, Holland famous.
He encourages others to open file shops within the area.
“There’s definitely things that could pop up,” he stated. “There’s plenty of room for everybody.”
