Today we’d like to introduce you to Thomas Maher.
Hi Thomas, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My first record store was opened in Durango, CO, from 2002-2004. I moved to Denver in 2005 and worked at a huge record store called Twist & Shout for a couple of years. I moved to St. Louis in 2009 and met my partner in 2011. We moved in together in the Cherokee Neighborhood in 2013. When we opened Kismet Creative Center, we initially intended to create an art space near Cherokee. However, due to my past as a record store owner and the fact that the primary record store in the area was closing down, we shifted from art space to record store. That was in 2014. Our space morphed. We became a record store, an art gallery, a venue, and a dealer of local wares. In 2018, we were forced to shut our doors due to the cost of rent. A couple of years later, in 2019, specifically, I met with a fellow record dealer who had popped up on Cherokee itself. There, I consigned and stayed until 2023. My most recent move has me inside The Wink incubator space in Dutchtown. It’s small, but the cost is correct, and Dutchtown is starting to grow positively culturally, artistically, and small-business-wise.
It wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Oh boy! I’ve had some financial issues. I took out a big loan towards the end of our first venture, hoping it would carry us. Luckily, that’s almost paid off, lol! I’ve also had issues with people I’ve worked with in the past, situations I could’ve done without. We’re rebuilding our customer base in a completely different part of town from what we were used to. In a way, we’re starting from scratch, but that is a positive thing.
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Well, I buy and sell records. My focus has been on underground and independent artists. That sets me apart. Instead of that being a part of the focus, it’s the whole focus. So many good artists are out there, and they deserve to be heard. Regarding genres, much of my focus is on shoegaze artists, psychedelic music, library music and soundtracks, experimental sounds, indie rock, and anything unusual and new. For some reason, lately, I’ve been bringing in a lot of Japanese stuff. I shift what I’m into regularly rather than focus too much on one genre. I’m most proud that I’m doing the work. I’m digging in. It’s like starting over. I’m a tried and true DIYer. And my love of music knows no boundaries. Music and independent music, particularly to me, is as critical as the need to breathe or eat. I’m in love with it. It can change the world. Also, I’m a drummer, lol.
What’s next?
You know, my dream of dreams is to have a cafe in the front of a building and a record store in the back. I’d like to own the building. I’d like to have more success. I currently have a side gig. I want to be able to quit that and do the store. I brew my kombucha, and I’d love to be able to sell it commercially. Call it Kismet Kombucha lol. Ultimately, my partner and I would like to have a branch of Kismet Creative Center as an arts non-profit. That’s a ways off, but it’s coming into focus. I went to school for creative writing. I want to use that. We’ve got the record store. We have access to a venue nearby to start having shows again. And my partner is keeping the art flame lit in her way through Urban Arts Collective. So we’re working on it. We want good things, and we’ll get to them eventually. I want to stay in the Dutchtown Neighborhood. Like I said before, the neighborhood is getting there.
Pricing:
- $1-$5 Bargain Bins
- The rest is priced by cost or value
Contact Info:
- Website: www.kismetrecordsstl.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/kismet_records/
- Facebook: facebook.com/tomkismet/
