Paste Alum Buys Austin’s Waterloo Records, Announces New Location

When former Paste marketing director Caren Kelleher left to get her MBA from Harvard, we knew she would do good in the world wherever she ended up. She’s continued to prove us right, starting her own management company, heading up Google Music’s focus on independent musicians, and moving to Austin, Texas, to open the second woman-owned vinyl-pressing plant in the world, Gold Rush Vinyl, where she was named Best CEO of 2023 by the Austin Business Journal. Her latest venture, with partner Trey Watson, is to keep the legacy of Austin’s iconic music shop Waterloo Records alive.

Kelleher and Watson today have announced the purchase of Waterloo Records from John T. Kunz, who has co-owned the store since 1982. The property Waterloo sits on was sold back in 2019 and the business was facing either a shutdown or a move from its 600 North Lamar location. The new space, 1105 North Lamar, promises 50% more space and better parking.

“My decades-long hope, dream and endeavor, has been for Waterloo Records & Video to live on forever, continuing to promote Austin’s vibrant music culture and community,” Kunz said in a release. “Now with this transition, all of my boxes are checked: a new larger home, just five blocks away; Caren and Trey buy in as my new, talented, local music industry partners; all of my team are retained and they will gain the opportunity for store ownership; all of the Waterloo Records hallmarks and traditions continue on, including innovation; and now as a minority partner and not sole proprietor, I get to work less, and play more. So thank you Austin!”

Thousands of artists have performed at Waterloo over the years, including Willie Nelson, Norah Jones, Jimmy Cliff, and Iggy & the Stooges. That will continue in the new space.

“As Austin continues to grow, we will make sure Waterloo Records will continue to be a music destination for both Austinites and its visitors,” Watson said. “With John’s involvement, we will deliver Austin the same record store with a little twist of fun and additional music engagement.”

Kelleher remembers her first trip to Waterloo nearly two decades ago. “I first visited Austin in 2005 while on assignment for Paste at Austin City Limits Festival, and Waterloo was a must-see for us all on the trip,” she said. “It left a permanent impression on me. Seeing so many albums we covered in Paste on the shelves—at a time when you’d be hard-pressed to find them elsewhere—was incredibly powerful. It was a vivid reminder of how music connects us all.”