Opening Words
Let the owner clue you in to the wares at 9th and 9th Book and Music Gallery.
By Thomas Crone
If you've walked into 9th and 9th Book and Music Gallery (872 E 900 S; 801-739-1159), you've heard Brandon Anderson's introductory greeting—a clever and effective way in which he's able to "answer eight out of the 10 questions that you might have" when you're walking into his 354-square-foot, multi-themed retail business. And if someone else walks in a few minutes later, you'll hear it twice. (And if another person... well, you get the idea.)
What you'll learn from his prep talk, even on the first hearing, is that the shop contains: books, albums, guitars, record players and no small amount of regional artwork, with a current consigning roster of 27 local artists working in all media.
"A couple of them are family members, or friends of friends," Anderson says. "I've been in bands forever. I've been in the arts, music and humanities scenes in Utah long enough that I made some connections here and there. A lot of artists have approached me when in the shop. For some of them, it's their first time showing in a retail space or gallery."
Inhabiting every nook and cranny of the stop, the artworks provide just part of the overall visual appeal of the tiny shop, located in the back half of a jewelry store that's been part of the 9th and 9th streetscape since 1999. Run by Joe "The Jeweler" Maughan, the retail component of 9th and 9th Jewelers was eventually phased out. Anderson went in to get a ring fixed, then noticed the open space and got into conversation with Maughan. By the next day, he was taking measurements of the space, and eventually targeted his Halloween 2020 opening date.
"Outside of a couple of tables, we built everything into the space by-hand," he says. "Back then, it was knowing how many bookshelves we could fit, how much product we could hold. The space dictated itself. I made sure the aesthetic is what I wanted it to be, and let the space tell me what we were going to do. It came together piece-by-piece, room-by-room, wall-by-wall. It took five days to rip up the carpet, remove seven layers of linoleum, the old black tar on the floor that came with the building. That's just one little example. It wasn't just slapping on a layer of paint."
After Anderson had spent 13-plus years with a major music retailer, a COVID-era move into an entrepreneurial role was a challenge on multiple levels. He feels, though, that his first crew of regular shoppers has been established, whether they're arriving for books, guitars, albums or others wants. Gaining the next wave of shoppers, he feels, is something that'll come this spring.
"It's been slow the first year, or two, but the reason that justifies the lease rate of a business at 9th and 9th is built-in foot traffic, and there've been small, locally-owned businesses here since the '40s," he says. "When the Tower Theatre reopens, it'll really, really impact foot traffic, especially in the evenings. I can't wait for it to open for many reasons; our community needs it open. I love the Tower, and it's part of our being here at 9th and 9th."
A gigging musician himself, Anderson is the rhythm guitarist and frontman of Whiskeyfish, a group that he says is "butt-shaking, whiskey-drinking, outlaw-country-blues-rock. I scream a lot. We come from rock and metal backgrounds, but we all love country." They'll be playing at Aces High (1588 S. State Street) Saturday, Feb. 26.
For hours of operation and other shop info, check out 9th and 9th Book and Music on Facebook, Instagram or at 9thand9thbookandmusic.com.
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