Staff at Asheville record store and music venue, Static Age Records, face the effects of insufficient fall tourism as they continue to host live music.
“Through the wake of the aftermath you couldn’t think of anything else to do besides help. It wasn’t until three weeks later we realized we were now struggling,” said Sophie Hull, Static Age Records’ director of operations.
In the weeks following Hurricane Helene, Hull and Jesse McSwain, owner of Static Age Records, said they did roughly 20 percent of the business they normally do due to a lack of tourism in downtown Asheville.
“Everybody makes all of their yearly money in a few months with slow time in between,” McSwain said of local businesses in Asheville. “Some businesses rely totally on tourism, I’m sure. At least we have a lot of local connection.”
Around 2004, Static Age Records evolved from a record store called Green Eggs and Jam and gradually began hosting more live shows. Hull said she estimates the venue now holds 15 to 25 shows per month, hosting both local and touring musicians.
“Every time I visit, whether that be to play a show or see one, I am delighted by the wonderful sense of community they have cultivated. One of the most inspiring places I’ve ever been in,” said Tanner York, junior at UNC Asheville.
Power and Wi-Fi returned to the store in a matter of days after Hurricane Helene, allowing staff to turn the space into a distribution center and source of internet access.
“Because this space has been pretty much a community institution in a lot of ways, more than a space with a business mindset, it’s like a meeting ground and people will come together to find each other here,” Hull said.
A former employee used the kitchen in the store’s sister bar, the Static Loft, to distribute nearly 5,000 free meals with volunteers.
“It really worked well,” said McSwain. “People would come pick up food and take it to all the places in surrounding areas that needed it.”
As the need to remain a mutual aid space declined, Static Age Records reopened for business and live music with a ‘pay what you can’ entrance fee.
“We did a couple shows. It was kind of hard to navigate doing shows again but it became pretty clear that music is good and healing. I think this is the kind of space that can really provide that for people,” Hull said.
Hull and McSwain said they received support from bands who’ve donated door money to the venue. Funds raised through their gofundme allowed them to pay their employees who volunteered to keep business running.
“It was pretty cool and beautiful to see how much our own community cares,” Hull said.
Along with returning to business as it was before Hurricane Helene, McSwain and Hull’s hopes are to expand use of the store’s space to support Asheville’s art scene.
“I’m talking to some displaced artist collectives, talking about maybe doing more visual art,” McSwain said. “We’ve had art openings so now I really am trying to work with some other people to do some art auctions to raise money for some artists to find new studio space and things like that.”
