HOOD RIVER — Modern music consumption is defined by a digital media marketplace dominated by streaming platforms. But at ADHD Music, the Columbia River Gorge’s new beacon of physical media, vinyls, CDs, cassettes and VHS tapes reign supreme.
Owned and operated by Hood River native Shea Wooten, its cozy confines sit in a downtown mezzanine adorned with nostalgic decor, vintage apparel, posters and miscellaneous music paraphernalia. ADHD boasts an expansive, ever-expanding collection of vinyl records to skim through, including sections dedicated to jazz, soul, hip-hop and rock. A healthy supply of CDs and cassette tapes rounds out its multi-platform catalog.
Blanketed in the iconic PDX Airport carpet, a portion of the store boasts an impressive collection of old VHS tapes. Here, patrons can peruse cinematic relics, relax on a sofa and take a break from browsing.
Growing up in Hood River, Wooten was primarily a basketball player. When that side of his life began to fade, music jumped to the forefront, embracing an interest that took root from a very young age. As a kid, even as early as kindergarten, Wooten would stay up into the wee hours of the night recording the radio on a cassette player. As the first person to get picked up and the last to get dropped off on his school bus commute, he listened to the dubs to pass the time. “I can’t get away from music,” Wooten said. “In a good way.”
After high school, Wooten bounced around the West Coast, producing hip-hop music for various artists, including stints in Bend, Portland and the occasional month-long trip to LA. Upon return to Hood River, he began throwing shows — a staple of his last 10 years in the Gorge.
The idea for ADHD has been brewing for some time; Wooten always wanted to open a record store. It didn’t matter the location — anywhere he could find the space. “I was either going to drive myself crazy thinking about it, or drive myself crazy doing it,” Wooten said. “When I caught word of this downtown spot, I couldn’t pass it up.”
On the side, Wooten works at Pine Street Bakery. But with ADHD celebrating its first anniversary on Oct. 12, he’s nearing a point where the store will become his one-and-only focus — a much-needed prospect considering his exhausting schedule. “My day starts at 4 a.m. and I haven’t taken a day off in a year,” Wooten said. “The biggest challenge is showing up mentally, not just physically.”
Luckily, running rampant with creatives, music lovers and plenty of tourists, Hood River’s patronage bodes well for a record store. Wooten can hardly post new arrivals on Instagram without individuals asking for holds. He also noted a surprise trend: high schoolers are all over CDs and VHS tapes. “Kids are looking at CDs right now the way I looked at vinyl as a kid,” Wooten said. “It’s the cool, old stuff now.”
Moving forward, Wooten wants to achieve the broadest possible offering and hopes to get in touch with locals looking to move their collection. Meanwhile, outside of the area, he’s searching for records that are atypical of the average Gorge listener’s inventory. “I had somebody from Texas ship me a box of Latin music,” Wooten said. “We’re trying to lead towards stuff that, geographically, isn’t very common up here.”
Only one year in, ADHD already has its sights on a second location in Hood River — a performance-oriented space for local artists to rendezvous and create content. Wooten is stoked to collaborate with anyone looking to record or perform in the area.
ADHD music is located at 210 Oak St., open Wednesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., 7 p.m. on Saturday. If you’re a music lover, stop by and celebrate the wonders of physical media.
Commented