Twist & Shout Records — Attraction in Denver

Good and Bad Business

Having grown up with Twist and Shout, I assumed there was substance to its Dead Head/Dead Kennedys altruistic vibe. The feeling was so cool that in the early days, Chipotle was cool simply because the music they pipe came from Twist and Shout.

I went into T&W to sell some DVDs. Well, they were only able to buy a few things I had for a total of $6. No big deal. I understand retail, I am, after all, an experienced operational accounting controller. So I agreed with little thought.

When I realized T&W was keeping one disc in particular that I happen know is a bit rare and valuable to a very select audience, I asked what it fetched. When I was told it got me $1.50, I explained its uniqueness and asked to have it back in exchange for the $1.50. I did not feel that T&W should give me far less than reasonable value because of their ignorance. I did not make a fuss. I asked to undo the deal on that one disc, and with the $6 and my DVD still on the counter, the manager said, “Now that it’s done, sorry.” The cashier backed him up with a, “Sorry man.”

As a seasoned operational accounting controller I suspect I know what a Twist and Shout manager can and cannot do. More than that I have a good understanding of the metrics that likely measure a used record store manager's job performance and directly impact his paycheck. Many a manager I have worked with would have thought at that moment, “Jackpot! I can’t wait to get online and look this one up so I can tell the boss how I totally stole this from some shom.” Of course, there is no way for me to know if he thought such a thing. I just think given that I had not moved an inch and less than a minute had passed, he should have relented.

I find it hard to believe that the manager could not restructure the trade based on my dissatisfaction when I was explained the exact terms of the deal within seconds of verbally agreeing to it. In real estate law and even with gym memberships, flexibility and time to reconsider a contract after it is executed is proffered to ensure mutual understanding and fairness. I would be interested to know if in fact this transaction would be legally actionable.

However, that really isn't the whole story. I had never been into the ”new” store, so while waiting for my DVDs to be professionally appraised, I engaged a female T&W associate by saying how cool it seemed that the store is completely different but looks and feels exactly the same as the old location. She was downright unpleasant. The manager with the tats on his scalp who snagged my DVD was a little more interactive but icy cold.

So I probably would not be back based on those two interactions without having been exploited because that place always had a good vibe for me. Now, not so much.

Record store people should be cool and conversational, sharing in the community of music lovers. In 1982, I turned down a job with Rocky Mountain Records and Tapes because all they talked about in the interview was watching for theft, and look how that business model panned out. Good business offers value while maximizing profit. Bad business maximizes profits without moral compass.

I just want my Led Zeppelin/Clash breathern to know that Twist and Shout might as well be a Bain Capital subsidiary. Every time I see or hear about Twist and Shout I will feel betrayed for the...

I have been going to Twist and Shout since moving to Denver 2 years ago, and it has consistently gotten worse with each trip. I have had very few positive interactions with the staff, as most present this pompous disposition and general hipster douchbagery that really ruins the record store experience. And that is what it is about, the experience. I can buy anything I want online if I so choose, but I have enjoyed the record store experience for years now. I want to be able to talk to the staff at a record store and get opinions and suggestions. Instead, when I do interact with staff, I receive blank stares or scoffs. The reason I have persisted going there for the past 2 years is due to their prices and contests. At this point, I have had it and will only be purchasing music online (from mass industries like Amazon or Insound, from the artist directly or some other form of purchase) or, as a last resort, will make the trip to a competitor like Wax Trax or some yet to be found record store in the Denver Area. This place has gotten way to big for it's own good, heading towards the Sam Goody direction rather than being a record store for people who love music and the record...

Twist & Shout is one of Denver’s sonic landmarks. Have you seen Empire Records? You know the record store where Molly Ringwald and Iona work in Pretty In Pink? Twist & Shout is the real thing, but cooler.

I’ve been buying records and CD’s at this store since it was at its previous location on Alameda Ave. I was a punk kid. A rivethead DJ friend of mine worked there. When my beloved musician friend Andrew (Hercules And Love Affair) is in town we return here.

It’s just a monument for physical media. The coolest, rarest music can be found here, things you’ll never find streaming. In a world of low quality streaming services that deplete the quality of sound, physical media (records and especially cd’s) will always give us the highest and most pristine sound quality for music.

Do your ears a favor: go browse your favorite bands. Search for them here. Remember what it feels like to touch a CD, to smell the glossy cardstock of the album cover, pour over the album art, lyrics, and cryptic messages in liner notes.

Touch something real. Listen to better quality sound, as the artists intended. Life is too short to hear muffled junk.

This store has, or can get anything for...