Just in time for today's repeat of Record Store Day on Black Friday, here's some killer news for Valley vinylphiles and music nerds: Michael Pawlicki, one of the co-owners of the now-defunct Eastside Records, will be opening a pop-up-style record store near the Yucca Tap Room sometime in the coming weeks.
Pawlicki, who helped run Eastside for more than two decades before pulling the plug on the store last December, hopes to open the shop within a week or two, depending on "when the city of Tempe puts the paperwork through."
Located four or five doors down from the Yucca Tap at Tempe's Danelle Plaza, Pawlicki says the new shop will dole out records and CDs and will also host performances by local bands, much like his old joint.
Lest you think it's the second coming of Eastside, however, think again. Pawlicki says the store will be a "temporary" endeavor and plans on only keeping it open six months, at most.
He's planning on selling off some of the voluminous amounts of vinyl he took with him after Eastside closed, as well as the leftover stock he purchased from Ancient Radio, a recently closed gallery/record boutique in Tucson.
Right now, Pawlicki (who will rent the space from Danelle Plaza/Yucca Tap owner Rodney Hu) says he's hoping to "see some old friends" that used to come into Eastside and "get rid of a lot of records" that he's been accumulating. The store's opening during the Christmas season is also calculated rather than coincidental, by the way.
Ultimately, Pawlicki absolutely loathes the Valley's stifling summertime heat and plans to close the store before the mercury starts climbing in May and eventually leave town to open a store in another city. He considers this new endeavor as a stopgap of sorts until he puts Phoenix in his rear view mirror.
"I'm looking forward to seeing a lot of familiar faces, have some good shows, and maybe evoke the spirit of the old Eastside," Pawlicki says.
