There’s been a lot of talk about third places recently. Though Roland’s new flagship store in the Meatpacking District in New York isn’t intended specifically to be one—it is, after all, a shop designed to sell things made by the esteemed Japanese manufacturers of electronic instruments—it nevertheless feels like one.
Located in a former Patagonia store, the brand new space has been designed with a stunning attention to detail that puts people who make music (or those who aspire to) at the very forefront. That’s clear from the very moment you walk inside: As you step through the doors, it feels like a space where anybody who’s into music can pop in and immediately be inspired.
Obviously, that’s helped by the wide array of artists who participated in its official opening on Saturday, October 10. Kicking off with a DJ set by Detroit’s Recloose, the night offered a wide variety of musical acts, all of whom showcased the versatility of Roland instruments. Valencia Grace on piano was stirring and dramatic in the living room area, her long white gown suiting the grandiosity of her music, while Nigerian guitar wizard Mdou Moctar wowed as he built up an impressive swirl of layered sound. Underground electronic artist and beatmaker DIBIA$E did what he does best, collaborating with saxophonist Hailey Niswanger to create something truly unique, before Man Man took the room by storm with a live improvised jam involving a number of the other artists present that really demonstrated the depth of talent on display. Rapper Chill Moody then let his flow fly over a live band, before DJ Jazzy Jeff ended the night behind the decks in an appropriately euphoric and celebratory way.
DJ Jazzy Jeff
Way before DJ Jazzy Jeff even came to the stage—located in the corner of the store, and which will be used regularly for events—you get the sense that this isn’t just another shop. While its main purpose is, of course, to sell instruments, it has the air of somewhere created to inspire, somewhere that embodies Roland’s own slogan of “We Design the Future,” somewhere that illustrates how their products will look, feel, and sound inside your home.
The section of the store dedicated to Roland’s pianos has fake windows looking out onto the New York skyline, replicating an upscale city apartment that truly gives the impression of being in a living room. There’s even a magic book on a shelf that, when pulled, triggers an animation of a spaceship flying through the city. And the noise it makes as it whooshes across the sky? Made on one of Roland’s Jupiter synthesizers by one of the store’s employees.
That’s the other thing: The staff is made up of practicing musicians who don’t just have knowledge of the instruments in-store, but the ability to play them. There are drumkits (electronic ones that won’t upset your neighbors when you play them, which is especially useful in the city); there are synthesizers; there are electronic flutes, clarinets, and saxophones; there are Roland’s trademark drum machines (including an original 808 in a case, as if on display in a museum); there are a plethora of Roland’s range of BOSS effects pedals and amps, as well as a variety of DW drums (Roland acquired the company in 2022). It’s truly a cornucopia of instrumental delights. What’s more is that the store has dedicated spaces to try them all out. They even turned the three fitting rooms from the old Patagonia store into dedicated practice booths.
Roland CEO Masahiro Minowa was onsite at the opening party, and after a speech about the values of the company, cut a red ribbon with a comically large pair of scissors to officially open this location. It’s only the third dedicated brick-and-mortar Roland store after locations in Tokyo and London, but if the event was anything to go by, it’s going to establish itself as a real New York destination.
The whole evening was quite the statement of intent, bringing artistry back to an area of New York that used to be overflowing with it. If this Roland store can jumpstart some of the creativity that defined the borough decades ago, that can only be a wonderful thing. Judging by this opening gala, and the sense of community it inspired, it almost certainly will.
