When Wooden Tooth Records opened its doors 10 years ago, selling new and used vinyl to audiophiles and music nerds alike, it reflected the kind of town Tucson is — one where the community shows up for one another.
Owners Jake Sullivan and Kellan Fortier first operated from inside Café Passé on Fourth Avenue, where a previous local business — The Wooden Tooth — once set up shop.
“The name was something we sort of inherited,” said Sullivan. “When The Wooden Tooth closed up shop, they left a beautiful handmade metal sign on the front of the building that said ‘Wooden Tooth.’ We thought Wooden Tooth Records sounded cool, and being that we were on a tight budget, the ability to utilize the pre-existing sign was a big plus as well! We reached out to the previous store’s owner, Tabatha Christian, and she gave us her blessing to adopt the Wooden Tooth name for our shop.”
Over the years, they’ve blossomed into two record shops — one at 426 E. Seventh St. and another at 108 E. Congress St., which is part store, part taproom, and part music venue for local and touring bands.
“People are mostly coming to Wooden Tooth as a destination, either to shop or see a show, but the bar definitely keeps them hanging out longer,” said Fortier.
From 2-8 p.m. on Saturday, April 19, the Wooden Tooth crew is celebrating its 10th anniversary at Dragoon Brewing Company, 1859 W. Grant Rd. #111.
“The party at Dragoon is going to be a blast,” Sullivan added.
Loud noises will be provided by local bands Lenguas Largas, Amor Deluxe, and Class, while DJ Carl Hanni spins tunes between sets.
Food trucks Ensenada Street Food, Substance Diner, and Family Joint Pizza will be keeping everyone well-fed between pints.
Local artists and vendors will be set up, including Donovan White, Catscapes, Tucson Comix Club, Desert Drone, and Cute & Classy Krispies. Plus, some family-friendly activities like a photo booth, live painting, and a coloring station will be on-site to ensure the younger attendees have a good time as well.
“We’re very excited to announce that we will have exclusive anniversary merchandise, all designed by Yu Yu Shiratori, available at the event,” said Sullivan. “Yu Yu did an amazing job designing posters, t-shirts, totes, and slip mats with a collaborative Wooden Tooth/Dragoon Brewing theme. Also, Forward Printing will even be on-site, making custom hats with her designs!”
They’ll also have a selection of records for sale during the event.
What would a party be without a limited-time brew from the celebration’s host, Dragoon Brewing? Fortier and Sullivan suited up and helped Head Brewer Matt Underwood create Real Cool Time — an American-style IPA that should land a little above 7% ABV.
“The appearance will be light straw yellow in color, similar to a pilsener hue, completely filtered with bright clarity and white foam,” said Underwood.
“Matt took us through the entire brewing process, and we got a behind-the-scenes look at their day-to-day operations,” said Fortier. “We learned about the hop selection process, saw the canning line in action, and visited the Dragoon laboratory (yes, a full-on science lab for beer) to taste barrel-aged blends.”
In other words, they had a “real cool time” on brew day. Your new favorite local beer, Real Cool Time, is named after the song by The Ramones and The Stooges.
“I’m anticipating that the flavor profile will present some pine, citrus, stone fruit, and tropical fruit notes as it was hopped with Calypso, Sabro, and Simcoe varieties in the boil,” Underwood added. “And then dry hopped with a lot of Mosaic that will give some berry-like characteristics to add to the aroma.”
When it came time to find a partner outside of the beer scene for a fresh collaboration, Wooden Tooth Records felt like a no-brainer — especially given the deep personal connection behind it.
“I grew up alongside Jake and his family very closely,” said Underwood. “I’ve been friends with him and his brothers ever since his dad was our little league coach. So, it was certainly a special/personal occasion for us to be able to do this together — as old friends who happen to be beer and music enthusiasts!”
In the past decade, they’ve really enjoyed hosting live music, and the response to their venue space has been all things positive. So, they want to continue to expand in that realm — more shows, continually diversifying the range of artists they book, and steadily upgrading the venue.
“10 years flew by, and we opened the shop with no long-term plans,” said Sullivan. “The store has grown very organically and has been shaped a lot by what the community responds to. Now, having 10 years under our belt, it’s a little easier to imagine what the future might hold for us.”
They’ve also had a lot of fun with the addition of the beer and wine bar. Expanded hours at the Congress Street location are on the horizon, allowing the bar aspect of the shop to grow.
The new Real Cool Time beer will be available at the anniversary party on Saturday, April 19. However, try it a day earlier on Friday, April 18, at the Congress Street location during their can release party.
Wooden Tooth Records shop is located at 108 E. Congress St. and 426 E. Seventh St. For more information, visit woodentoothrecords.store.
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