Just this last April (2001), Treehouse Records opened up as one of the newest editions to Minneapolis, Minnesota's music scene. Ranking up there with such top local records stores as the Electric Fetus or Let It Be, Treehouse is becoming quite the successful "mom and pop" record store. While Treehouse Records is relatively new, it has a lot of history behind it.d
Back in the early 70's, Mark Trehus opened what would be known as one of the most influential indie record stores, Oarfolkjokeopus Records. Oarfolk, as it was called, was THE PLACE known for specializing in local punk and rock music. In 1984, a fire completely gutted out Oarfolk records, and all of it's staff and manager Terry Katzman left. Katzman went on to open up Garage D'or Records, which just recently went out of business. Oarfolk owner Vern Sanden reopened his record store with the help of Mark Trehus, who ran his own indie record label Treehouse Records. Trehus ran the store up until this last year, when owner Sanden decided to close Oarfolks doors.
Trehus took this opportunity and bought the building, but not the business, so the name and everything inside had to change. After asking for suggestions, Trehus decided to go with the name Treehouse Records. "There's lots of record stores going out of business, but there aren't a lot of people starting mom-and-pop record stores in the year 2001," says Trehus, who even today sells albums himself behind the counter.
Treehouse Records has become well known for it's diverse styles and formats of music. They specialize in having a large amount of vinyl LPs, vinyl 45s, and both new and used CDs. More importantly, Treehous Records is about people who enjoy everything about the music. "I get downright misty-eyed when I think about it," Trehus says. "Really, it's the people who keep coming in here that keep us alive."
(above) Picture of the legendary Oarfolkjokeopus Records, now Treehouse
