As on many nights before, there will be a turning of the key at the end of Jen Schwaber's shift. But Aug. 1 will be the final time she locks up Night Owl Records, the Cottage Street store she opened with partner and then-boyfriend, now-husband Mark Schwaber.
"We're proud of what we've done," says Jen. "We made something out of nothing. Someone said to us when we announced that we were closing, 'I'm glad you are walking away and not running away.' It's really true."
For Jen, who lives with Mark and their beagle Scooter just down the street, the most difficult part will be that first walk past their former shop. "Scooter always stops and wants to poke his nose into the store, even when it's closed and we're just walking by," she says. "He thinks of it as his second home; he gets as many people stopping by to say hello to him as I do. That walk will be hard."
"He's definitely going to get less pets," adds Mark. "There will be some disappointed people, for sure. Especially Steve, our UPS guy. He's crazy about Scooter."
Although an unsteady economic climate and a changing music industry certainly informed their decision to move on, the Schwabers insist that those are not the only reasons. After putting in 60-hour work weeks when they rarely saw each other, they hope to find more time for individual projects, and each other. "Mark, of course, has his music, and is finishing up his third album. We're excited about that," says Jen. "I'm cast in a production of The Miracle Worker this summer."
The couple—and beagle—will now be forced to adjust to life after their roles as Easthampton and Cottage Street entrepreneurs. Jen says, "We've made a lot of friends. We have a group of younger kids who basically have grown up here in the store. The town has really been awesome, the other businesses have been great, and are all aware of each other in a good way without competition."
Mark says that they have enjoyed operating a music store that is part of a burgeoning arts and music scene: "Being an active member of a community that is that thirsty for the arts to begin with has been great." Now the couple say they are ready for the next chapter. Jen still wants to do record shows, and they plan on greatly expanding their online presence through the Night Owl eBay store.
The Schwabers organized an all-day bash on July 26, and Night Owl will be open until close of business on August 1. Everything will be 20 percent off until then, except local artists' albums. For additional information, visit myspace.com/nightowlrecords.
