Empoyees, owner and customer at Papa Jazz in Columbia SC

For at least the first four hours of Papa Jazz’s 40th anniversary celebration it was like a Five Points bar on a weekend night. After first waiting in line outside for the record shop to open, customers crowded the counter and made plays for a limited series of t-shirts. They had difficulty determining where the checkout line was as regulars waded through the bins of music and film on a variety of media formats.

“Somebody bought an Alice in Chains CD so I pulled the dupe and it was sitting there waiting to go out, and a guy came up with a stack of stuff and says, 'Is that an Alice in Chains CD?' I was like yea and he goes, 'I'll take that." says Papa Jazz record store assistant manager Woody Jones, (above left) part way through a post shift beer at nearby Bar None, "It was funny, we couldn't even pull the dupes on CDs fast enough and get them out.”

“People like to spend money when they think they are getting a deal and they also like to spend money on special occasions. I think people showed up today,” says Jones, “There were people who came in and bought a few things because it was 40 years and they wanted to celebrate the institution that is Papa Jazz. And then there were people who came in and were like, 'I've been eyeing this stuff and now I am gonna get it at a deal. There was that too.”

Despite the unfavorable odds against the success of record stores, especially during the wave of digital technology at the turn of the century Papa Jazz has managed to hold on through multiple generations of music fans. “The longevity is about being adaptable,” explains owner Tim Smith (above center) “have a plan, but don’t be too rigid.”

Photos by Sean Rayford