Combining two of your favorite things always looks good on paper. Garlic and chives? Genius. Cigarettes and coffee? Even better. Mixing your love of social media with your furry best friend to make your dog an Instagram account? The passion is there I guess. Now and again, a combo comes along that is so enticing it seems like a miracle we can experience both happenings at the same time. The team over at Portland’s Record Pub has concocted the combination of record shopping and high-quality beers on tap for a boozy crate-digging experience like no other.
The Record Pub has discovery at the heart of its operation. Whether you are uncovering a rare vinyl you’ve been trying to find for ages or a new favorite brewery to try out, The Record Pub invites you in to simply explore and try something new. In the same way, a royal purple accents a glimmering gold, The Record Pub has uncovered an irresistible combination with a pure passion to drive it forward.
Glide had the pleasure of speaking to The Record Pub team about how the shop came to be, its curation process, and the stellar events that take place at their humble operation. Check out our full conversation below.
When did the idea to put a bar in a record shop come to be?
In short, it began as a product of the pandemic. During the early stages in the summer of 2020, like many, we were all craving our favorite pastimes and familiar rituals. For the three of us, that very much included visiting our favorite local record stores and pubs.
And, as many can probably relate, this period presented plenty of opportunity to dream. Andy dreamt up the initial concept, and from there, an excited series of phone calls took place to gauge interest, thoughts, and ideas amongst the three of us. We all immediately had interest in opening our own record store, but we wanted it to be more of a hangout, a place where the neighborhood and broader Portland community could also gather for special occasions, chat all things music, or simply enjoy a couple records and a pint amongst friends and family.
So, we decided to set about combining the two – records and beer.
Within minutes of that initial phone call, we were all in agreement that we were all-in, and the initial stages of planning began, in June 2020. Portland always has been a terrific city for record stores, and we wanted to complement that community with our own take, and additional offerings that folded in many of the great local breweries of Portland.
Fast forward to July 2022, and we were open for business.
What has the reception to The Record Pub been like in the year and a half you’ve been open?
The reception has been incredibly rewarding. It’s easy to put pen to paper and map out something, but to see it in action, and bloom into what it’s become so far, it’s surpassed our expectations.
People seem to really appreciate the curated selection of both records and local beer, the friendly atmosphere, the many social events, and the community that’s built around it all. There are numerous examples of people coming in on their own and becoming fast friends with someone they met at The Record Pub. Next thing you know, they’re swapping records, buying stereo gear off one another, going to shows together and just meeting up at The Record Pub on a regular basis.
In addition to always having six local beers on tap, people enjoy our tap cider, our wine varieties, and the fact that they can take a four-pack of canned beer home at the end of their visit. We regularly feature a wide variety of local canned beer, non-alcoholic drinks, and bottles of wine in our “Cold Beer” cooler. The $5 mimosas on weekends are a big hit, too.
It’s just one of those things – beer and records are a pretty sweet combination. We talk records and beer all day long at The Record Pub, and everyone’s invited. And there’s a good chance you’ll meet new friends when you visit.
Do you notice any similarities between devout beer fans and music nerds and any famous fans you can talk about?
One of our favorite parts of how The Record Pub has developed is the variety of interests folks have. Some focus exclusively on the records when they come in, and some come by just to have their favorite pint and chat music. Heck, some come in just to write down their picks on the TRP Top 3, a weekly feature we offer where we introduce a new music-related theme each week and people weigh in on their favorites.
But the majority of people who visit TRP come for the whole experience, ordering up a pint or a glass of wine and taking their time digging through the record bins. It’s developed into a great social activity, and interestingly enough, it’s become a great date spot, whether it’s a first date or a regular night out for couples.
We’ve seen a number of notable musicians and other dignitaries visit The Record Pub. It’s a wide swath, really, from rockers to former governors. Most prefer to remain anonymous, so that’s all we have to say about that.
When did The Record Pub start hosting events? What are some of your favorite memories from these events?
From the beginning stages of our planning, we knew we were interested in hosting events and that they would be an important part of our business. We started hosting private events shortly after opening, and we’ve helped celebrate a wide variety of occasions, including birthdays, anniversaries, book release parties, trivia, holiday parties, karaoke, you name it.
After we opened in 2022, we quickly began working on other special events and programming, introducing live music, listening parties, our mug club, themed happy hours, kids events and tap takeovers that highlight a lot of our favorite local breweries. For our one-year anniversary, we even hosted a pancake breakfast that benefitted the neighborhood elementary school. These events have expanded greatly over time, especially as we learned what our customers were most interested in.
Each event has been memorable, but we just simply enjoy hosting them. It’s been a pleasure to host events that appeal to so many people and to see them have such a great time in the space.
You guys buy used vinyl. What is the largest collection you’ve had to sift through? What is the rarest/most expensive record in your store right now?
We’ve been fortunate to come across several collections numbering in the thousands, and those are always a thrill to dig into. Because of our setup, if someone brings in a decent-sized collection, we’ll comp them a free pint while we sort through the collection. An extra bonus! We are always buying, so bring in what you’ve got.
Right now, we have a never-played, 1972 pressing of Agitation Free “Malesch” on the feature wall. That’s one of those rare titles that might be out there for a bit, but when that person who has it on the top of their grail list comes in to get it, it will make their day. The excitement people have when they find those types of records – ones that have been on their bucket list for ages – is easily one of our favorite parts of this endeavor. We always have an eye out for our regulars’ bucket lists, too.
What does The Record Pub have in store for 2024? Can you give us any hints about what sort of brews you’ll be featuring or any events you have planned?
This year is shaping up to be our biggest yet in terms of events. In addition to further enhancing some of our existing events, we’ve added a weekly community trivia night that will benefit local non-profit organizations. We will be hosting a monthly comedy jam starting in March, we are planning to do upwards of a half dozen tap takeovers with our favorite local breweries, we’re adding food-related special events, and we are going even bigger on Record Store Day and RSD Black Friday this year.
For the holidays this past year, we opened an annex location at one of our favorite neighborhood beer partner’s location, Ruse Brewing. It was so much fun that we are continuing with that in 2024, so record enthusiasts can continue browsing through our TRP pop-up at Ruse as well.
