It’s appropriate that a record fair event goes full circle for a music aficionado. That’s the story for Herb Calleros, who came up with the HOCO (Hotel Congress) Record Fair concept in 2005.
While working as a bartender/waiter at the Hotel Congress, Calleros suggested a record fair event and was given the go-ahead.
“I wanted to do something fun 20 years ago (at Hotel Congress) and they trusted me,” Calleros said.
“I thought it would be a great event for the community. Records are fun. I’ve been buying records since I was in the second grade. I thought other people would like a record fair, but I had low expectations for the event. I thought it would be great if I could get 10 vendors to come out and hopefully some people who love records like I do would come out.”
The response to the initial HOCO Record Fair event was tremendous. “I was blown away,” Calleros said. “We had somewhere between 500 and 800 people attend. I remember (former Hotel Congress entertainment director) David Slutes saying, ‘This is an out-of-the-park home run!’”
Shortly after the second year of the event, Calleros bowed out of the event to focus on other aspects of the Hotel Congress business. “I gave them all of the contacts and wished them well,” Calleros said.
After working for 24 years at the Hotel Congress, Calleros has moved on professionally but the local musician, who has played for such bands as Molten Leather and Hell Driver, will return for the HOCO Record Fair, which is slated for Aug. 31 at the Hotel Congress. “I’m just glad it’s still happening,” Calleros said. “It’s always a blast.”
The vinyl baton has been passed to Jordan Wright, the owner of Desert Island Records. Wright is organizing the event together for the third consecutive year. “There’s always cool records to buy,” Wright said. “It’s a great opportunity for those who love records since there will be a great mix of music. There will be vendors like me selling records and then there will be individual sellers who will come out. Who knows what they will bring?”
Calleros is one of those independent salesmen, and his eclectic collection includes punk pioneers The Ramones and avant-garde icon Sun Ra Arkestra. “I don’t need four copies of The Ramones’ first album,” Calleros said.
There will be at least 15 vendors attending the HOCO Record Fair. “There will be guys from Flagstaff and Phoenix coming in,” Wright said. “Collectors might find some things they never see. This will be a great place to come in and dig for something cool.”
There will be DJs and a Bloody Mary bar. “There will be some cool DJs,” Wright said. “There will be alcoholic beverages. It’s a great environment for shopping with the DJs.”
The HOCO Record Fair is one of DJ Carl Hanni’s favorite events. “I look forward to it every year,” Hanni said. “I make sure I spin there every year since it’s the best event. I’m not just saying that. Think about it. I get to play music for people who are really into records. It’s the perfect captive audience. It’s not a dance party but the music played is fun to shop by.”
Hanni will jump genres shifting from surf to rock to blues to new wave. “I’ll set the vibe for my fellow record hounds,” Hanni said. “I’ll play jazz organ cuts, soulful blues with artists like Slim Harpo and Jimmy Reed and whatever I feel like playing. It’ll be fairly uptempo and it’ll be fun and interesting. I’m just glad this event that Herb came up with so many years ago is still going on.”
Calleros is driven to sell a considerable amount of his collection. “I’ve been buying vinyl for a long time and I never stopped,” Calleros said. “I hit 4,000 records. I need to thin out what I have. I don’t listen to my Metal Church records anymore. The cool part is that I get to pass my records onto people that really want to hear these artists. It’s a great event that I just hope continues after this year.”
There’s no reason for the HOCO Record Fair to end. The surprising comeback of the digital age continues since vinyl album sales in the United States grew for the 17th consecutive year in 2023. According to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), 43.2 million EPs/LPs were sold in the U.S. last year.
That’s just the numbers for new vinyl. Music fans clamor for used albums. Wright noticed the trend and it prompted the opening of Desert Island Records in 2017. “I could see the industry changing and I wanted to be part of it,” Wright said.
It’s a fine run for Wright, who sells vinyl and vintage stereo equipment. The success of Desert Island albums led Wright to the HOCO Record Fair. “It’s a great event,” Wright said. “It’s going to be fun.”
HOCO Record Fair
WHEN: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 31
WHERE: Hotel Congress, 311 E. Broadway, Tucson
COST: Free admission
INFO: 520-622-8848
desertislandtucson@gmail.com
