Meet Patrick Brown of Congress Park

Today we’d like to introduce you to Patrick Brown.

Hi Patrick, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I grew up in Denver from first grade on, with a four-year detour into New York City for college, earning a BFA in film from NYU, but then right back to Denver. Shortly after returning I landed a job at Twist & Shout Records at the original location on South Pearl Street, working up to be their first manager and later, the first GM of the store. Running the store at the original location, through the move to Alameda Ave., and then to the current location on East Colfax, I have been only the through-line who worked at every location (there was also, briefly, a satellite store on the Auraria campus) who is still working there. In March of 2022, I purchased the store from the previous owners and have been running it since. I’m also a film enthusiast and an avid cyclist – don’t even own a car – love seeing every aspect and neighborhood of the city on wheels.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The world is always a challenging place, and times like we have now have tested our resourcefulness. Between the current economy and a long-running construction project on Colfax it has provided a difficult terrain to keep things going steadily.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Noted much of this already, but I worked from a lifelong interest in music and the arts to a job where that is the central focus. Twist & Shout prides itself in not just extensive music knowledge from the staff, but superb customer service. There’s a reputation record stores have for snobbery and gatekeeping – see Jack Black in High Fidelity for the quintessential example – and we try to be as far from that as possible, including everyone no matter whatever their tastes. We have a staff with wildly diverse musical interests and tastes and being able to find the right person to knowledgeably help anyone who walks through the door and that’s nothing any online algorithm recommending titles can replace.

What are your plans for the future?
Right now just looking forward to the revitalization of Colfax via the current transportation project – being able to better connect with the folks outside the central, walkably close region via the new BRT line will be great.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.twistandshout.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/twistandshoutdenver/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TwistandShoutDenver
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TwistAndShout