Jerk Dog Records Celebrates 10 Years In Bradenton

BRADENTON, FL — It’s “surreal” for owner Douglas Holland as Bradenton’s Jerk Dog Records celebrates a decade in business.

“‘Surreal’ is the right word because it doesn’t seem like it’s been that long,” he told Patch. “It takes me a while to realize it sometimes. ‘When did I start this? Has it really been 10 years?’”

To honor his 10 years of selling vinyl records with a focus on music outside the mainstream — garage rock, punk, metal, jazz, country and indie — in the Village of the Arts, he’ll host a party and concert Saturday evening, starting at 6 p.m., at the nearby Birdrock Taco Shack. The event will feature local acts, including the Burke Brothers from Have Gun Will Travel, Tiger 54, Teen Cobra, Sir Sympathy and Holland’s own band, Las Nadas.

The show will serve as a benefit for ALSO Youth, which supports and empowers LGBTQ+ youth ages 10 to 24 in Florida.

Holland and his wife, Valeri Borstelmann, moved into their home more than 20 years ago, just as the arts district was forming.

With a legal commercial overlay, the Village of the Arts, established in 1999, enjoys a live/work/play atmosphere. The addition of the arts has rejuvenated a once-neglected neighborhood.

Initially, the couple used the garage and other rooms at their home at 1119 12th Street West as an art studio and gallery to showcase Borstelmann’s artwork. Eventually, her interests turned to other creative projects, including screen printing and founding the Bradentucky Bombers Roller Derby league.

Holland came up with the idea of opening a small record shop in the space while attending Gonerfest, a garage rock music festival hosted by Goner Records in Memphis, Tennessee.

“There were tons of people buying records and they were buying records of music in the garage genre and of punk bands. Music I loved that nobody down here was carrying,” he said. “That was my first ‘a-ha’ moment. If nobody else is doing this, maybe I can be the store that I want to see? My first goal was to have music that I saw a void in and I’ve expanded a ton since then.”

He didn’t immediately jump into the business; he started slowly, working his full-time job as a plumber and opening when he could.

“It just evolved. I started doing first Friday (art walk) once a month. When I saw the interest, I said, ok, I’ll do Saturday and then added Wednesday,” Holland said, adding, “I was a jump ahead of the vinyl resurgence by a few years.”

Now, 10 years later, he’ll quit his plumbing job and dedicate himself full-time to the shop, which starting in July will be open daily. The timing is right, as sales have picked up at Jerk Dog after dropping off during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It’s still a risk, but a calculated one,” he said. “We’re financially in a good place and the store seems to be on an upswing in interest and sales. Also, our daughter is graduating from college … Looks like now is as good a time as any.”

He looks forward to leaving his physically demanding career to focus on the music and the store that he loves.

“I’m on the backside of 50 pushing 60,” Holland said. “In a few years, I’ll be collecting retirement benefits. The work I do is physically challenging and exceedingly tiring. I’d like to not go into my retirement years with chronic aches and pains that don’t go away.”

While there are several north of the area in St. Petersburg and Tampa, Jerk Dog is one of the few record stores focusing on vinyl in Manatee and Sarasota counties, he said. “I’m still kind of shocked that there hasn’t been a primarily vinyl record store.”

But his store has a niche focus, he added. “Because I’m small, I can’t be everything to everybody. There was a store in Samoset that was primarily underground hip hop, but they’re long gone.”
There’s also a jazz-focused shop in Sarasota, Daddy O’s Record Rack, Holland noted.

He encourages others to open record stores in the region.

“There’s definitely things that could pop up,” he said. “There’s plenty of room for everybody.”