Holdfast Records has been a sweet escape for music lovers in the Jersey Shore area for nearly a decade.
The Cookman Avenue record store is singing a swan song, though, as Monday will be its last day in business before shifting to online sales only.
Co-owner Joe Koukos emphasized that the closure was purely strategic and unrelated to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We’ve had a strong online business for years now, and this frees me up to be out and about looking for records, which is the fun part,” Koukos told NJ.com.
Nearly 70 people mourned Holdfast's closing on a social media post published by the music shop last week.
"Very bummed to hear this dude," Kenny Florio wrote. "I was there on opening day and got a ton of great records from you over the years. I will follow your online sales and see you at the shows. Much love to you and the family."
"My heart dropped when I read this post," Jonathan David added. "Truly one of my favorite record shops. Thanks for providing the space for me to go into a sort of zen state while flipping through your offerings. I’ve always been able to find records I was never looking for. Thanks for everything joe!"
Asbury Park — considered one of the Garden State’s most renowned cities for music — no longer has a record store with the volume or variety of Holdfast.
Koukos, however, remains confident that the store’s online business model will retain the brand’s commitment to both traits.
“We will be digging more,” reads caption on an Instagram post. “We will be finding more and we will love this ‘job’ even more going forward.”
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