The drum shop Rhythm Traders, which has been operating in Northeast Portland for over 30 years, recently welcomed two other music businesses into its building. Eastside Guitar Repair and Hank’s Music Exchange had both been in Southeast Portland, but have now moved to the Rhythm Traders building to form what they’re calling the MLK Music Mall.
The drum shop Rhythm Traders, which has been operating in Northeast Portland for over 30 years, recently welcomed two other music businesses into its building. Eastside Guitar Repair and Hank’s Music Exchange had both been in Southeast Portland, but have now moved to the Rhythm Traders building to form what they’re calling the MLK Music Mall.
Courtesy of Brad Boynton
“Each one of us occupies kind of a different theme in the music community,” said Hank Failing, the owner of Hank’s Music Exchange. “We all benefit from each other being together just because each one of us really loves what we’re doing and have done it for a really long time.”
Ryan Lynn, owner of Eastside Guitar Repair, had agreed to share his Southeast Portland shop with Failing during the pandemic. The arrangement proved beneficial to both businesses.
“In short, two-and-a-half years that he’s been open, he’s become an intricate part of the local music scene as the go-to shop in town for affordable music gear,” said Lynn. “People come to the shop for him and his employees as much as they come for the gear.”
The building Lynn and Failing were operating out of in Southeast Portland sold to a new landlord who wanted to raise the rent, and they both felt the need to keep serving Portland’s music community.
“The Portland music scene has just been really supportive of all of our businesses over the years. And we called it the ‘Music Mall’ and we wanted to open that up to other businesses that are nearby,” said Lynne. “We kind of wanted to make this Northeast area, an area that serves the music community that people can go to.”
Failing adds that their businesses complement each other: “The guitar player goes to our store and then the drummer goes to Rhythm Traders, hypothetically. And then the guitar player goes and gets his guitars repaired by somebody like Ryan.”
Lynn and Failing both agree that although Portland’s vibrant music scene may be threatened by things like the proposed new Live Nation venue, rising rents, and inflation, they are confident it will weather the storm.
“For the 24 years that I’ve lived here, I’ve seen it kind of ebb and flow, and I’ve worked on everybody from beginners to rock stars coming in the door. I’ve been on tour with bands on the road. I see things that kind of threaten the scene here a little bit,” said Lynn. “But I would say that we will get past this and we’ll be just fine.”
Ryan Lynn and Hank Failing spoke to “Think Out Loud” host Dave Miller. Click below to hear the full conversation: