Chaz Martenstein sat behind the counter of his record store, filling out an order for new CDs, while three or four customers perused the shelves packed albums. Martenstein surveyed the room contentedly. "I can't really describe how I feel right now," he said. "I've managed record stores before, but this is an entirely new feeling. It's like I've pushed a ball off a cliff, and I know that it's not going to stop rolling for a while. I've never been happier."
Last Saturday, Martenstein opened the doors to Chaz's Bull City Records, located on Perry Street just a few doors down from Cosmic Cantina. Since the grand opening, the business has blossomed. "So far, everyone has been really positive about the shop," he said. "I've sold a lot more than I had ever expected to sell in the first week, and overall the community has been really supportive. I honestly didn't expect the warm welcome that I got."
Martenstein moved to Durham two months ago after spending three years in Boulder, Colo. While in Boulder, he managed an independent record store. "I got a lot of good exposure working for that store," he said, "and it really gave me the drive and inspiration to open a store of my own."
Martenstein's girlfriend had moved from Boulder to Durham last year, and he visited her for Christmas. "It was my first encounter with Durham," he said, "and I really liked it. But I saw that there was a hole when it came to independent music stores."
When he finally moved to Durham-after months of planning and preparing to open Chaz's Bull City Records-he discovered that along with a dearth of music stores, there was also a blossoming music scene.
"I feel like Durham is a place that's trying to get off the ground musically, but it's not there yet," he said. "But one thing that I've learned about opening a record shop is that the best places are the ones that aren't fully together musically. There are a lot of great bands in the area, and as Chapel Hill is getting more expensive, more musicians are moving back to Durham. The seeds are here, and what I want is for my record store to grow along with the town."
Despite the promise of the local scene, Martenstein is cognizant that record stores normally don't last long in Durham. "The difficulty with running a record store is that there isn't much profit in simply selling CDs," he said. "Ideally, what I want to do is manage more than a music store. I'd like to open up the space next door, and use it as an open rehearsal space for bands, and maybe even hold shows there in the future. I'd also like to have movie nights in the store."
Instead of formally advertising for Chaz's Bull City Records, Martenstein is instead relying on the close-knit Durham community. "I'd rather have word-of-mouth advertising than placing a big color ad in a local newspaper," he said. "I know that the local community is incredibly close, so I'm trying to use that to gain credibility. Basically, I'm working on keeping the store as relaxed and stress-free environment as possible."
Although it will probably be a while before he is able to purchase the space next to his shop, Martenstein is happy with how things have turned out. "As far as I'm concerned, business can only pick up from here," he said. "It can't get worse. And while I do work a lot, it doesn't feel like it. It just feels like I'm going to play for 10 hours each day. I get to hang out, listen to music, and read when no one's in the store. The time just flies by here."
In the end, Martenstein will be happy if the store integrates itself into the local culture enough to stay afloat. "I want the store to be comfortable, to have it be the type of place for people to come and just hang out," he said. "I'm not really expecting to get big. I'll be happy if I'm able to pay my bills every month and grab a hot dog once in a while."
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