{"id":378721,"date":"2025-11-14T16:45:18","date_gmt":"2025-11-14T16:45:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/378721\/"},"modified":"2025-11-14T16:45:18","modified_gmt":"2025-11-14T16:45:18","slug":"classic-phoenix-record-store-makes-big-changes-under-new-ownership","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/378721\/","title":{"rendered":"Classic Phoenix record store makes big changes under new ownership"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\tTracks in Wax in central Phoenix has a new owner in 2025.\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

Amy Young<\/p>\n

Central Phoenix record store Tracks in Wax<\/a> has gotten brighter since Josh Briese took ownership of the long-running shop in October. Literally.<\/p>\n

No shade to any of the vinyl haven\u2019s previous owners. Those who own businesses have the freedom to do as they please. What Briese wanted was to remove the paper and decor that obscured the view to and from the store\u2019s interior and use the ubiquitous Arizona sunlight as a beacon to draw people in. Doing so added a lightness to the place\u2019s inner atmosphere.<\/p>\n

The thoughtful new airy feel, a deep clean and a roomy arrangement of the massive amount of records combine to make it feel like a new place. On our visit, Briese\u2019s daughter ran the counter and let the turntable\u2019s needle fall upon a Rolling Stones record, setting a mellow mood. His wife, who was out of town that day, can be found on site some days, too.<\/p>\n

The store was opened in the early \u201880s by brothers Dennis and Don Chiesa. Dennis passed away in 2011<\/a>, and Don some years prior. When the Chiesa brothers were no longer at the helm, Timmy Stamper was the owner, and that\u2019s who Briese bought it from.<\/p>\n

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\"\"Josh Briese is the most recent owner of Phoenix record store Tracks in Wax.<\/p>\n

As a collector, Briese had been in the store digging through the crates on numerous occasions and was smitten with its vibe. \u201cIt just had a vibe that just was not unlike any other record store in Phoenix, and that\u2019s what drew me in.\u201d He spent more time getting to know Stamper when it was announced that the store was for sale.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI started coming in here for probably about eight weeks and hanging out with Timmy on the weekends,\u00a0 just getting an idea of what the shop was about, and what he was looking for in an owner,\u201d before they solidified the deal. Throughout the process, too, Bries says the two became friends.<\/p>\n

Josh Briese, who goes by Breezy and hails from Oregon, also has an entirely separate career as a public school principal, in addition to a lifetime love of music and records.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI have been in education for 20 years. I\u2019ve also always collected records, and music has been a part of my life since I was born. I grew up in a family that didn\u2019t have a lot of money, so our parents listened to music with us. We had tapes, eight-tracks, all of that.\u201d<\/p>\n

He fuses the two just a bit. \u201cEven at school, I have a record player and I play music all the time. It\u2019s very much a part of my life.\u201d<\/p>\n

He\u2019s been collecting records for years and had a business called Mylomine Records that sold at record shows and pop-up events. Like many who found new hobbies or elevated their passions to obsession-level status during the pandemic, he admits his collection \u201cexploded because I didn\u2019t have anything else to do at the time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Was owning a shop always a thought? Of course. As he says, \u201cWhat\u2019s more fun than hanging out in a record shop?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBeing a huge, uh, record enthusiast, I wanted my own shop to be able to hang out and talk to people. And, you know, I\u2019m in education, so I bring that into what we do here, and I wanna teach people what I know. Music exploration is amazing. Being turned on to a new artist that you\u2019ve never heard before, especially when they\u2019ve existed for 50 years, and you\u2019re like, \u2018Oh my god, these guys are great. How do I not know them?\u2019 We really love that aspect of music. So that\u2019s kind of what we\u2019re bringing in with the education side.\u201d<\/p>\n

I ask Briese what the best part, so far, has been about not only living a dream, but inhabiting a store that has been well-visited by music lovers for so many years.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo far,\u201d he says, \u201cit\u2019s the stories.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"records\u2018Best Of\u2019 plaques and Beatles records at Tracks in Wax.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne of our main goals right now is to let everybody know that we\u2019re under new ownership and we have a different vibe now, and at the same time are still holding onto the legacy that is Tracks in Wax. We don\u2019t wanna lose that. What the brothers started here in 1982 is phenomenal, and then Timmy keeping it alive is amazing. We want to keep it going. We\u2019ve had a ton of people reaching out to us about their stories, how they would come here in high school and hang out with the brothers, partake in some activities (laughs), just a lot of rad stories. People who don\u2019t live here anymore are also hitting us up on social media, and they\u2019re excited we\u2019re keeping the legacy going.\u201d<\/p>\n

Building a community around music is another main priority for Briese and family.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cOur vision for this place is to build a vinyl village, a community of vinyl enthusiasts.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe want to be known as a place for people who want to get started with records and they don\u2019t know where to start, or how to start, or what to buy. We have records at price points that anybody can enter without breaking the bank. And we want to be a cool vibe hangout spot. We\u2019ve created a seating area up front, and we\u2019ve got the original neon sign back up and hanging again.\u201d<\/p>\n

Something else important to Briese is fostering a respectful environment.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe want to be known for being a place where we are always going to treat everyone with respect and kindness. And if you want to learn, we\u2019re gonna teach. Just come on in. You don\u2019t have to buy anything at all. Just come hang out if you want and listen to music.<\/p>\n

Briese says they\u2019ll be having a little parking lot sale on Black Friday and will soon ramp up on some events like listening parties, live performances and future Record Store Day<\/a> happenings. You can follow them on Instagram<\/a> to keep up with all their news.<\/p>\n

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