Chestnut Hill's Hideaway Music is bringing live performances back to the avenue with a new monthly concert series beginning April 4, following a successful test run last December.
Philadelphia folk artist Chana Rothman will kick off the series on April 4 at the record store at 8232 Germantown Ave. across from the Chestnut Hill Hotel.
The concerts will coincide with Chestnut Hill's First Friday events, when more than 30 local businesses stay open until 8 p.m., offering art exhibits, live music, and food and drinks. The neighborhood's Arts and Eats program, which grew out of monthly events first started by Jonene Nelson of NoName Gallery, celebrated its first anniversary on March 7.
And according to Hill business owners, Nelson’s initial evenings – which drew visitors from across the city to her gallery – have blossomed into a program that successfully draws visitors to many shops along the Avenue.
"If it's a nice night, like in the fall, there were a couple of really nice nights, it was definitely an increase in traffic to the store," said Brian Reisman, owner of Hideaway Music.
Reisman tested the concert concept in December, hosting local musician Dave Cope on Dec. 6.
"He's got a pretty big following, so, yeah, it worked out," Reisman told the Local. "We probably had maybe 20, 25 people here and given the size of the room, that's probably the maximum crowd."
Though additional performers haven't been announced yet, Reisman plans to feature local artists through December 2024.
"She's going to be a good source for people," Reisman said of Rothman. "We do carry some local artists' records. So I was going to approach a couple of them and ask them if they'd be interested."
Space constraints will influence who performs at the venue.
"We'll probably keep it to local people because just logistically, I don't think we can have a band in here," Reisman said. "One performer, maybe two or three, but that's all I have room for."
He hopes to sell records and CDs of the artists that perform, saying "If they want to bring their stuff in, we'd sell it."
October will mark 23 years since Hideaway opened in Chestnut Hill. Reisman, who grew up and still lives in Mt. Airy, always thought Chestnut Hill could use a music store.
"We started out selling CDs and some vinyl, but sort of always felt that there was a place for vinyl," Reisman said. "My slogan, even back then, was 'better living through vinyl,' but it's just grown, especially over the past 10 years, I'd say 98% of our sales are our records."
Reisman believes the concert series benefits both the store and the performers.
"It's a chance for them to perform, it's also a chance to bring people in here," Reisman said. "People have always said I should have music, and the First Fridays are a really good opportunity to do that."
Any local musician interested in performing should contact Brian Reisman at hideawaymusic@gmail.com
