Wooden Tooth Records is an independent record store in Tucson with two locations. Founded in 2015, Wooden Tooth has established themselves a go to spot for used and new vinyl, CDs, cassettes, DVDs, books, turntables and much more.
"Both of our locations carry new and used vinyl. Our 7th Street location has a larger vinyl selection, and our Congress Street location offers a bar with beer, wine and non-alcoholic beverages. We also host events at our Congress Street location. You can check our calendar and Instagram for upcoming events." - Wooden Tooth Records
You may have passed by their Downtown location at the end of the week and heard some tunes escaping from the back of the shop, or maybe you've seen your best friend's band play there, and you're curious how you can get on their stage.
We asked Kellen Fortier (co-owner) how to book a show at Wooden Tooth Records, and here's what we learned:
What is the best way to get in contact with you about booking?
You can shoot us an email at woodentoothrecords@gmail.com
Do you require a link to music the performer/band makes?
We typically ask for a link so we can get a vibe for what the music is like, and a brief bio about who they are is helpful too.
Do you require a media package?
Not at all. We’re much more DIY here.
Should a performer/band reach out to you directly, or do you prefer managers to contact you?
Honestly, we’re good either way. Although we often we deal with local bands, so having them contact us directly is nice that way we’re really on the same page about what the show is going to be like on the day.
What can performers/bands expect in terms of payment?
We let band decide what they want to do for the show. The way it works here is bands get 100% of the money from the door. We make money by being a record store and we also have a beer bar and all of that’s available during the shows. I’d say the door typically is somewhere between $5 and $15.
How far out should performers/bands reach out about booking?
Because we’re a record store we usually only do live music Friday and Saturday nights which means that we have to book out pretty far in advance. So I’d say three months is the minimum, but sometimes it’s closer to four months.
Are performers required to fill the rest of the bill?
We typically ask if they have an idea of who they’d like to fill it with, otherwise we can totally help. We know a lot of local bands and once we get a feel for what the bands are like we can get the show filled up.
We also help touring acts who come through and need a little help in that area.
Are performers directly required to sell tickets ahead of time?
No!
Is there anything else folks should know about the process? Anything we missed?
I don’t think so! We’re pretty laid back. We try to keep bills to two bands, three bands are the maximum that way we can close the store at 10pm.
Learn more about Wooden Tooth Records at their website: https://www.woodentoothrecords.com/
We hope to hear you playing there soon while we're shopping for our favorite records!
Is there another venue in town you'd like to learn how to book? Let us know!