By Michelle Mirowski
Here’s the first in a series of written and recorded pieces highlighting the vendors at The Rust Belt Market. We kick things off with Michael Trombley, whose record shop, Stay Pressed Records, has been at the market for nearly seven years.
Michael is also one-third of Happy Endings, the new wave dance party that’s had crowds moving to Morrissey, New Order, Depeche Mode and so many more for the better part of a decade. The party moves to New Way Bar, with the first event there set for Friday.
We caught up with Michael to get his thoughts on the record shop, Happy Endings and Pulp.
Ferndale Radio: How did Happy Endings start? Whose idea was it?
Michael Trombley: When I moved back to Detroit, I ran into my two friends Joe Lubek and Joe Wisniewski. Within that first week back we came up with the idea of doing a DJ night. Our friend Christian Grubb, who was the manager at the Berkley Front, was pumped about the idea and that is how Happy Endings started. We were at the Berkley Front for six years until it closed. Happy Endings was an excuse for us to get together and play music that we grew up with and inspired us. We are 90s kids. We went to high school and college in the 90s, so we were way into British stuff. Lots of UK indie, shoegaze, Britpop and classic alternative like The Smiths and The Cure. We had a great response from day one and have a loyal following.
FR: Where did the name Happy Endings come from?
MT: We’re all huge Pulp fans and that’s a song off an album that we love, “His ‘n’ Hers.” I didn’t realize that happy endings can have a sexual connotation at all. We all agreed that was a great name. I think people think that we must be pervs, but I hope not.
FR: Where is Happy Endings located now?
MT: After the Berkley Front we were at Zeke’s for two years and the Loving Touch for one year. Now we’re starting off at the New Way Bar on Sept. 28. We’re really excited about New Way Bar. It’s a good space with good vibes and the owner Jamie is very supportive of local music.
FR: Any memories of the earlier days that you would like to share?
MT: Showing up to the Berkley Front the afternoon of Happy Endings and discovering the sound system is missing or finding the speaker boxes without speakers. This happened too many times to count and yet we always managed to pull it together in time to play that night. Perseverance.
FR: Who is your most memorable guest DJ?
MT: Chuck Hampton (Secret Mixes Fixes, IT) absolutely slayed. Chuck makes all his own edits and his mixing/selecting is flawless. He has an amazing ear and an intrinsic way of taking the crowd on a journey.
FR: Tell me more about your record store, Stay Pressed Records. How long have you been at the Rust Belt?
MT: I have been at the Rust Belt for six-and-a-half years. I came in the year they opened. The Rust Belt itself is a great little community, honestly, and so supportive of each other. It’s a wonderful small business incubator.
Prior to this I lived in Philadelphia and had a record shop for four years, and prior to that I lived in California and worked at Amoeba Music in L.A. I worked in record stores all through college — Harmony House for three years, Repeat The Beat for two years. I just couldn’t escape record stores, but I never wanted to.
FR: Do you DJ anywhere else?
MT: I DJ under the name Macho City too! Macho City started in Philadelphia with Ron Morelli, who runs a record label named L.I.E.S.. And when I moved back to Michigan I wanted to bring it here and I partnered with Scott Zacharias, who has been a local DJ in Detroit since the early 90s. Macho City has been going strong for almost 10 years. I’m music obsessed for sure and I’m lucky that it is what I’m doing for a living, really lucky.
FR: Any final thoughts?
MT: We have to give it up for our crowd; fun, loyal, musically knowledgeable and great dancers.
