Revolver Records Bites the Bullet in Downtown Phoenix

Another Roosevelt Row small business has fallen: Revolver Records will be closing next month.

The record shop, which is located at 918 North Second Street, announced its departure in this week's issue of Phoenix New Times and on Facebook. The store's final day of operation will be the next First Friday on February 1.

In a Facebook post, owner TJ Jordan wrote "We have enjoyed being a part of all our customers' musical lives for the past decade, hopefully fulfilling our original goal of spreading our love of music through what we believe is the best medium available ...VINYL!"

It's not all bad news, however. Currently, the shop is holding a clearance sale: Everything is 25 percent off, and discounts will rise until the last day of operation, culminating in a party on First Friday.

At the tiny shop on the corner of Second and Roosevelt streets, customers still chat outside and mill through the dusty stacks of well-loved CDs and records. When New Times paid a visit on Thursday afternoon, sales associate Brendan Higgins was spinning a mournful jazz record on the store's sound system.

Higgins believes part of the blame for Revolver's closure lies in the gentrification happening in Roosevelt Row, where new condo developments and businesses dwarf the tiny shop.

"It was already on the decline versus 2011 to '13," he says. "Roosevelt was a whole different scene."

While Revolver may be closing shop, it's far from the only record store in Phoenix (and we at New Times do encourage you to patronize your local businesses). Nearby, audiophiles can head over to Grand Avenue Records for vintage finds, while Stinkweeds further north on Camelback Road and Central Avenue fills the void for new releases. And out east, TJ Jordan himself mans the stacks at his new shop, Mojave Coffee and Records on 48th Street and Thomas Road.

Reached via text, Jordan doesn't seem to be too broken up about leaving the old spot behind. In fact, he's happy to have made it this far.

"We were going to stop it at 10 years, but like Spinal Tap we went to 11!"

Revolver Records. 918 North Second Street; revolveraz.com. Open Sunday to Thursday from noon to 8 p.m. and Friday to Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Closes February 1.