In the midst of 2020's pandemic the story of one music store stuck out with plenty of sadness, but also one of hope and a positive message. It was a story needing told.
Fiddler's Green Music shop, formerly of Austin was recently purchased by long-time employee Ben Hodges. Ben and his family toiled hard over the years to find a way to fulfill their dream of owning the store. From this point forward, the story is best told in his own words.
We wish Ben well going forward and hope you'll enjoy photos of the new store in Lockhart that follow!
Ben Hodges
"On February 25 after working at Fiddler's Green for over 12 years, I purchased the business from Clay Levit who remains one of my best friends. Together we figured out terms for me to buy the place. It was a very long and stressful path of seeming like one day it would happen and the next it wouldn't, but we finally got it done.
"Then the pandemic came.
"Three weeks later the shop closed, except for curbside and mail order. Unfortunately, in order to qualify for the CARES act/PPP loans I would have had to have owned the business prior to February 15, missing the deadline by 10 days. I did everything I could to try and appeal to no avail. It seemed, and still does, unfair that I purchased an existing LLC with absolutely no changes other than ownership and didn't qualify. As a result, all store employees had to be laid off at no fault of their own. It broke my heart. Those employees were dear friends, and we had such high hopes for the future together, and so much pride in our little shop.
"Now it's just me. The shop has moved to Lockhart, a town with a vibrant art community and world class Texas BBQ, where my family lives and rent is far more affordable. It's about 30 minutes south of Austin with easier access to San Antonio and Houston, from which we get a lot of walk-in customers. Fiddler's Green has always been more of a destination type of place anyway, and I'm not sure the premium of having a central location in Austin was ever worth it.
"It will be just me at first, but hopefully as normal life resumes I hope to add another employee or two. This shop is much more to me than a means to make a living. It's been a central hub for a community of music and art friends to gather and hang out in. It's a place that invites newbies in with the same, if not more, enthusiasm than the local big shots. It's a place where those newbies become lifelong friends with big shots. I met my wife here. I met most of my friends here. I've learned so much here and continue to do so every day. I've spent over a quarter of my life here. I love this place dearly."
Store Hours:
Fiddler's Green Music Shop in Lockhart, Texas is now open 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday
All photos except the last one in the article by Vanessa Lain Photography.
Fiddler's Green Music Shop Information
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