Beloved Vancouver music store closes down last shop
A beloved Vancouver music store is closing down at the end of the month.
Rufus Guitar and Drum Shop on Commercial Drive will close its doors on Jan. 31, according to a former employee. Less than a year ago, the company shut down its location on Alma Street, which they said had been open for 40 years.
Daniel Sveinson, a local musician who sings and plays guitar for the band Brass Camel, said he was “absolutely bummed” when he heard the news.
He said Rufus had “definitely touched a lot of musicians in Vancouver.”
“Everybody’s got a connection to that store,” he told Daily Hive. “It’s hard to understate.”
Not only did the store employ music teachers and teach students, but Sveinson and other musicians were involved in playing demonstration videos.
He’d play some of their old vintage guitars — like a 1952 Telecaster or a 1958 Stratocaster — so that the company could post what they sounded like.
“You can’t just pop up a YouTube video and see that instrument,” he said.
Vancouver’s music scene
Earlier this month, Brass Camel shot a music video at Rufus. At the time, they didn’t know about the impending closure, but Sveinson said it makes sense in retrospect.
“There was a little bit of urgency to get us in the shop to shoot the music video,” he said.
“I guess the writing was on the wall.”
Sveinson said Vancouver is a “tough city” for independent spaces like Rufus to get by in due to the city’s high costs.
Over the last dozen years, he said he has seen so many independent spaces come and go.
“I don’t think it really lends itself to a really healthy scene where people can grow and thrive in the arts world,” he said.
While he appreciates chain stores like Long & McQuade, he said that big-box stores are missing the “X factor” that smaller businesses have.
A store like Rufus, he explained, offered a different experience every time you walked through the door. You could meet local musicians or pull a unique guitar off the wall that you’d never find elsewhere.
“Once those independent stores and spaces are gone, the only ones left will be focus group-approved and safe enough to sell insurance to and just bland,” he said.
Metro Vancouver has seen a number of local music stores close within the last year, including Krazy Bob’s Music Emporium and Bully’s Studio.
Daily Hive reached out to Rufus Guitar and Drum Shop and the store’s owner, but didn’t hear back by the time of publication.