Wuxtry Decatur Turns 40; Mojo Vinyl Moves

One longtime Atlanta-area record store marks a milestone with a special celebration this month, while another well-established (if significantly younger) vinyl retailer settles into new digs.

Wuxtry Records in Decatur opened its doors in 1978, two years after its Athens outlet made its first sale. Under the stewardship of Mark Methe, that North Decatur Plaza vinyl emporium has been going nonstop ever since, making it one of the longest-running metro Atlanta music retailers still in operation. To celebrate that milestone, they’re throwing a party at the Vista Room (2836 N. Decatur Road) on Friday, Nov. 9. Also marking their 40th anniversary, The Swimming Pool Q’s – who played Wuxtry’s grand opening party on September 30, 1978 for one of their very first gigs (see photo) – will perform, along with a trio called 3 featuring Ken Schenck and Max Koshewa of Atlanta post-punk band 86 with Wuxtry’s Richard Kuykendall on drums (a warm-up, of sorts, for 86’s own reunion shows at The EARL and 529 on Nov. 30 and Dec. 1, respectively). Tickets are $20 advance, $25 day-of-show, and each of the first 200 tickets sold will come with two free drinks.

Meanwhile, in late September Mojo Vinyl in Roswell relocated from its nearly hidden corner cubbyhole off Canton Street into a cozy vacant house on busy five-lane Alpharetta Highway. It was a forced move – a hotel is being built on the property where the store’s previous two locations stood (the original spot, a stone’s toss from its second spot, opened in 2011) – but a positive and fortunate one.

“It’s very tight around here for retail space,” emphasizes Mojo owner Rand Cabus. “Retail gets kicked out for restaurants all the time.” But a friend of a friend happened to own an unrented house at 1058 Alpharetta Highway, about a mile south of Highway 92/Holcomb Bridge Road, and Cabus jumped on it, signing a five-year lease. “It was made to happen,” he says.

It’s slightly larger in square feet, but of course laid out differently with various nooks and crannies. The location certainly gives Mojo more visibility. “I’m definitely getting new customers who see the sign and stop,” notes Cabus. Parking was always a pain at Mojo’s former spot, which opened in 2014; not so at the new location, as it has its own dedicated on-site spaces in front and back. Cabus also plans to fix up the front yard to host occasional small outdoor musical performances.

A special ribbon-cutting grand opening ceremony attended by Roswell Mayor Lori Henry and city council members will take place at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 20.

Photo by Richard Perez.