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WW: What led you to wanting to open a business, specifically a record store?
What were some of your previous jobs before Jackpot?
What was the first album you ever purchased?
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Describe the landscape of Portland music (and/or SE Hawthorne) when you opened the first shop. How are things different now, as far as the scene here in Portland goes?
What was the biggest challenge to opening the store in 1997?
What is your biggest challenge now?
Has the rise of Hawthorne as a more hip, more expensive neighborhood made it especially difficult to stay at the same location?
What's Jackpot's scariest, might-have-to-close moment?
Is there any history between the name of Jackpot Records (store and
label) and Larry Crane's storied studio of the same name?
label) and Larry Crane's storied studio of the same name?
How did the Jackpot film festival come about?
The record label?
When you're already running two stores, why take on more?
How much help do you receive in running the film fest and the label? Do Jackpot employees volunteer?
What have been some of your favorite in-stores over the years?
Are you also responsible for booking those events?
Jackpot has always seemed to me like a place that, without a huge inventory, still almost always has what I'm looking for. How does Jackpot decide what's ordered, i.e. maintain such quality control with limited shelf-space?
Has Jackpot always carried so much vinyl, or is that something that's become more popular (in higher demand) more recently?
Do you think the popularity of vinyl among young people is a response to the growing intangibility of music (iTunes/iPods, MP3s, etc.)?
How noticeably has the dominance of the above formats affected your business? Has it been a struggle getting people to come in and buy full albums?
Similarly, how has the growth of online record buying (besides iTunes, just the fact that people don't need to go out to purchase things as much) affected your business?
How much do you think location, and the priortities of Portland music fans, has helped keep Jackpot afloat? Do you think it would be much harder to survive in a different city?
Do you fear for the disappearance of record stores altogether, or that digital music will make record stores obsolete eventually?
Why do you think Jackpot has survived for ten years? How is it different from, say, the NW Music Mill; is it simply a matter of rent/landlords that forced them to close their doors while you're still able to operate two locations?
What format do you listen to primarily? Are you an iPod guy, a vinyl guy, a mix?
Is there any rhyme or reason to the lineup for the anniversary show? Any stories regarding these bands and Jackpot's relationship that you'd like to share?
What bands are you currently rocking at the store, that you hope customers will get turned on to?
Links:
Grails, Saturday Looks Good to Me, We’re From Japan!, Dark Skies and MC Sean Croghan play Saturday, Nov. 3, at Lola’s Room. 7 pm. Free. 21+. Photo: Slusarenko, taken by Jason Quigley.
WWeek 2015