“[There are] so many dead people with so much nice stuff! Also, I didn’t want to work for other people anymore,” says Spencer Moody of his decision to open his self-proclaimed “junk shop.” The former Murder City Devils frontman still graces the stage with his noise-rock band Triumph of Lethargy Skinned Alive to Death, but much of his time is now spent scouring estate sales, acquiring items for resale at his new entrepreneurial endeavor, an eclectic store called the Anne Bonny.
Named for one of the only two well-documented female pirates, the space is overflowing with Moody-selected “art, home accoutrements, and dead people’s furniture,” as the tag line says. Paper tags hang from beach cruisers shining in the front window, and ’50s Formica tables are topped with vintage ceramic trinkets. Rocking chairs are draped with cozy blankets, and well-worn cowboy boots stand proudly in a line, waiting patiently for the next ride. The walls are covered with artwork that ranges from gaudy velvet pieces to enormous photographs.
Stairs lead up to a roomy loft with worn hardwood floors and light filtering in from the ceiling’s skylight. Moody has put the space to good use, hosting monthly art openings for local artists John Atkins and Tara Thomas. His ties to the music community are evidenced by a recent acoustic show at the store with David Bazan and Ben Gibbard playing solo sets for an intimate group.
Times at the shop aren’t always so exciting, however—manning the register alone all day can get slow. Checkers, YouTube, NPR, and listening to records help speed the clock. Which really isn’t too far from finding ways to pass the drive time between shows, something Moody is all too familiar with.
“I spend less time in the back of a van drinking and looking at pornography as a proprietor,” Moody says. “Otherwise, it’s the same.”
Aja Pecknold
Day Job is a look at how musicians pay the rent.
