After nearly four decades of feeding Tempe's vinyl habit, The Ghost of Eastside Records has gone quiet. Owner Michael Pawlicki closed the shop on June 30, timing the final day of business with his retirement announcement. The store was the successor to the original Eastside Records, which opened in 1987, and for many Valley music fans its crowded bins and opinionated staff were the unofficial nerve center of Tempe's indie scene.
As reported by Phoenix New Times, Pawlicki revived the shop in 2011 under the name The Ghost of Eastside Records, then formally shut it down on June 30 when he retired. The New Times story also notes that Brent Berg, who runs Grace Records in Gilbert, is expected to take over the Southern Avenue storefront later this month, and it traces Eastside's various Tempe locations while collecting photos and memories from longtime regulars.
In May, Ed Masley of The Arizona Republic profiled Pawlicki as he prepared to sell. Pawlicki said he was "ready to move on" and planned to stay behind the counter through the end of June while speaking with prospective buyers. According to Masley, Pawlicki pointed to a drop in tourism and tighter profit margins as key reasons the work had become tougher after nearly forty years in the business.
A small shop with an outsized influence
Eastside Records, which held court at University Drive and Ash Avenue from 1987 until 2010, built a reputation for a scrappy blend of punk, indie and crate-digging obscurities that drew in local bands and touring musicians alike. As Phoenix New Times recounts, everyone from Thurston Moore and Henry Rollins to a briefly visiting Paul McCartney reportedly walked through its doors, while raucous in-store performances by The Dwarves and Man or Astro-Man? helped cement the shop's legend.
What’s next for the Southern Avenue storefront
The Ghost of Eastside Records' most recent home sat inside Danelle Plaza at 45 W. Southern Ave. in Tempe, and mapping tools and local business listings still point to that address. MapQuest and record-store directories continue to show the location for anyone checking hours or hunting for final clearance deals. With a buyer reportedly lined up, the space appears likely to remain a destination for vinyl hunters in the East Valley.
Pawlicki has said he does not intend to disappear from the music world entirely. He has floated the idea of occasional pop-up sales and even a mobile record operation, and he told reporters he planned to keep buying inventory through late June to smooth the handoff to a new owner. The Arizona Republic highlighted those plans and quoted Pawlicki describing the next chapter as a chance to finally slow down after decades of standing behind the counter.
