Rotate This

This is my go-​to record store. I remember being 12 and driving 45 min into Toronto just to go to this place with my friend and his parents. So yes my friend has the coolest parents.
I can always find what I’m looking for here, plus some. I love how they highlight local bands records on the wall. There is so much good music in this city you guys!
Also the prices here are so on point. Especially for the used section. If you have the time I know you’ll find a gem or two in there.
They also sell tickets here so skip the crazy service charges if you can and grab your tickets here.

OK, first things first: yes, Rotate This is every bit as hipster and pretentious as you can imagine. Staff rarely say hi and I don’t think I’ve ever been offered help (though I once overhead a very interesting conversation on cinematography) and you can pretty much guarantee that your purchase is being judged hardcore by the time you make it up to the counter. It’s a record store located on Queen West; it kind of is to be expected.
But! The positives of Rotate This outweigh the negatives that come with the awkward checking out period. The selection of Rotate This is impressive; I almost always find what I am looking for. Their prices also tend to be the best of the strip of record stores located on the street. They also sell concert tickets without the excessive charges that TicketMaster provides you.
All in all, if you can get past the hipster atmosphere, chances are you’ll leave happy and with a new record under your arm. Not to mention: you’re shopping at a record store on Queen West in 2015; you’re probably pretty hipster yourself.

As a young’un in the late 90s, I used to go to the old location at Bathurst and Queen a lot. This location still stocks awesome new vinyl and the staff have been there ages. I love that the concert tickets don’t have crazy charges in the vein of Ticketmaster, and also there are still some awesome bargains to be found in the dollar bins!

This is my least favourite music shop in the city. I can’t think of any reason to go here. And I am pretty sure this is the only music shop in the city where I’ve never bought anything.
First of all the snooty, hipper than thou attitude permeates the shop. And this is the only shop I’ve ever found this in. It is present in the new location and was around in the last location too.
Secondly, the selection, at least for CDs, isn’t anything to get excited about, new or used. The only thing I can remember being excited about was over a used copy of the Japancakes’ cover of MBV’s «Loveless».
Thirdly prices are high here – especially for new CDs.
Since getting into jazz, I have not bothered to stop in so I can’t comment on that specifically.
Tickets? Just go to Soundscapes – I don’t think RT would have anything that SS would not.
The only way I could ever recommend this is store is if you like being looked down upon, think the world begins and ends with Arts & Crafts, are living off of mama and dada’s money, reside in the area and can’t be bothered to travel beyond Queen West.

I grew up going to Friends Records, Quintessence, Phantasmagoria, Odyssey Imports, Cellophane Square and others (out in Vancouver), and Rotate This takes me back to my youth, reminding me of the lost record shops I spent long hours digging through once.
Funny how vinyl is The New Big Thing, isn’t it? Walking past HMV there was a photocopied sign taped to their window We Sell Vinyl (with an unwritten Again at the end of the sign). Well, Rotate This has sold vinyl for as long as I have been going there and they sell it like they mean it. They have one of the better selections of brand new vinyl in the city and an equally good selection of used as well. I have never walked out without some purchase (which means I have to be careful how often I visit…) and there is always more left behind.
So what do I listen to, ’cause how good a record shop is is rather related to what you are hoping to find… picked up The Higher Order’s brand-​spanking new release (after hearing them on CBC’s Metro Morning) and John Cooper Clarke’s Zip Style Method (after looking on Ebay and Discogs with dismay at the high cost of shipping– next day, it was sitting in the used bin, $ 10 in VG condition)… okay, I got lucky on the last one, but come on, how excellent is that? Other finds include Charles Mingus, Aaron Copeland, Detroit Cobras… the collection at home pretty much runs all over the place, and so does the selection at Rotate This.
They also have a selection of used gear for sale, mostly turntables, so no more excuses! pick up some vintage vinyl and find out why many of us never stopped…
The prices on the vinyl are not unreasonable, but do reflect the location. I have found the folks who work here to be cool but not unfriendly, exactly like any group of people who are passionate about something to the point of not quite ‘getting’ someone who isn’t as passionate as they are.

Favourite record store in Toronto. I’m here 2 – 4 times a month.

This place may be a bit far out from the normal travel, but it’s the only place I knew of in toronto for cheaper ticket prices… Now they charge a little less than ticketmaster (I had arrived recently thinking they were worth missioning to for the money saving aspect, but that has changed) so it’s no point in even bothering the distance anymore.
The only real thing that stands out as good is that their website is up to date.

I really like this place. Its major accomplishment is as a great little store for «indie rock» — that amorphous non-​genre — on new vinyl. Their hip-​hop, jazz, and world music sections are small, but represented. If you want more extensive genre-​based collections, you’ll have to head to stores that specialize in them. If you want used stuff, it’s all over the city, but Neurotica is close by and has a better selection than Rotate This (although Rotate This has a none-​too-​shabby collection of used vinyl, and all of the used records I’ve purchased from them have been cheap and in great condition).
This place serves its earnestly ironic/​ironically earnest market of young (ish) music lovers and it serves us well. They get new vinyl quite quickly here (most of the new releases I’m hunting for are there within a week or two of their release date), and their prices are fair and often cheaper than Sonic Boom’s. I’ve noticed that many reviewers here have been put off by the staff’s attitudes, but I’ve never been displeased with the service I’ve received here. I don’t look even remotely cool and I listen to dumb music and I’ve always been served with a smile. The one exception is a younger dude who has never, ever smiled at me but has always been courteous and helpful, so no complaints.
It gets pretty crowded in here on the weekends so I tend to do my relaxed browsing on weekdays.

Rotate This is a great independent music store located on the ever so hip Queen Street West. They carry an excellent selection of vinyl albums, concert tickets, and cds. New vinyl is decently priced and they have a fine collection of genres. Used vinyl is hit or miss due to a high turnover rate. If you have something specific in mind that you are hunting for than you must frequent the store often in high hopes of finding the album. I was pleasantly surprised and delighted to find a copy of Deltron’s debut album-​Deltron 3030 on vinyl (that had eluded me for so long) in the hip hop section. They are a solid provider of concert tickets with a nominal surcharge. However, their website is not as up to date I would be like and have found myself presenting there for tickets to a show only to find that it is sold out and they in fact had not updated the website. Blast! I must admit I am more inclined to purchase concert tickets from soundscapes only due to the fact that they are open later than rotate and have a more current website. However, Rotate is still a good place to get concert tickets at. I am just a little particular when it comes to my music. I am indifferent to the staff at Rotate, it is a very business as usual type attitude.
everybody want to tell ya the meaning of the music…
I highly recommend Rotate This for all of your music needs.

I knew there was a reason why I always bought my tickets here, I just couldn’t place it until know. As grumpy as the staff may seem (lovably curmudgeonly I say!) they will prioritize your ticket purchases over the stoned guy looming over the counter asking about stuff he’ll never even purchase or the annoying vinyl enthusiast on the phone who just calls to complain about what they DON’T have in stock. (Everytime I go, theres an employee almost losing his head because the person on the phone won’t let them go.)
I went there last week on the first day tickets were available to a show I wanted (because I’m a keener) and since it was the first day and they required a few extra steps to process the tickets (3^rd party stuff) so I gladly hopped over to Bellwoods, the Coffee Shop and back in about 20 minutes.
When I arrived a new staff member was there who was totally confused about my request, but ever so swiftly the other staff member saw me from the side and took care of my tickets, thanking me for returning and my patronage and I left a happy, well prepared camper.

The comments related to Rotate’s elitist or «jackass» record store decorum are simply unwarranted. Most of the people who work there have drastically different tastes in music and disagree with each other all the time; they are not judging customers based on purchases. I’m not sure as to what kind of ambience is expected of a record store from reviewers like Noël D – but this is what indie record stores are like!

Sweet sweet Rotate… sigh…
This has been one of my «go to» places for a long long long time now. I too miss the days when it was three shops down from the Beer Store on Queen. The place was dirty, small, cramped and noisy but it was home for this young hardcore kid.
Today it’s slightly larger, noisy and not quite as dirty. I like the way they’ve used their space near the door and can usually find things very easily and quickly. The new release cd and 7″ bins are just as inviting as they’ve always been.
I’ve heard a number of people say they found the staff snobbish and I can honestly say I’ve never found that to be the case. They know their stuff and have always been happy to help me find something hidden away in a bin somewhere.
If you’re looking for concert tickets this is the place to go. Case closed.

I used to go to the old location, but as far as concert tickets go, this is the place to come. Always. Soundscapes is great but sometimes they will sell out a lot faster than RT. A few years ago, I needed an extra Regina Spektor ticket for a friend, and I scored. 15 minutes before the show, and they were done selling at the venue.
I’ve found the staff to be nice and helpful in general, and the record collection is always worth a browse.

Rotate This is my first stop for concert tickets. As many others have mentioned, the fees are minimal and certainly an improvement over TicketBastard.
They list all available tickets on their website and update it fairly often. The coverage is pretty good for all the clubs in Toronto. Bigger venues they don’t seem to have access to but that’s probably not what their clientele would be looking for anyway.
I always fine the service perfunctory and fast. I am just happy to have a convenient place to get concert tickets without paying for nonsense «convenience fees». Cash for tickets only.

If you are an indie hipster looking for old punk albums on vinyl then I guess this is your spot. A lot of people seem to think this is one of the best record stores in the city but I have no idea what they’re talking about. Every time I have gone in there I have to listen to jackass employees talk about Facebook or what their plans are that night. I think they must view the movie High Fidelity as their code of conduct.
I’ve not been to their new location much at all. Last time I was there I found a small pocket of funk records which were all re-​issues and overpriced. I had to leave because I was getting fed up with the music that was playing combined with random yelling from whoever was working in the back area pit.
I used to hit up their old spot a lot because they had dollar bins of hip-​hop and I would be able to get some really choice records for about 5 dollars each. One good thing about Rotate This being an indie rock record store is that they have little knowledge of what their hip-​hop records are actually worth.
I hear it’s a good place to buy concert tickets though… If you are into a certain genre of music I can see it being a good spot, but if you’re more into hip-​hop, funk, soul or anything like that then there are much better options with less-​crusty service.

Yes, the staff can be crochety but that’s part of their required job description. And you have to wonder, as they silently judge your purchases while cashing you out, why they bother stocking the albums if they have so much disdain for them in the first place?
Musical tastes aside, this is the place to go for ticket purchases — never again should you bother buying your tickets from Ticketmaster. Even for shows that have assigned seating, you’re better off going to Rotate the day of onsale or later and your seats will still be good (they usually get a random assortment of pairs). The prices can’t be beat and they often have new ticket allotments long after Ticketmaster has sold out of tickets. Cash only for tickets, debit & credit for everything else.
Great selection of vinyl, too, and they have good Boxing Day sales!

For used and new vinyl, CDs and magazines, Rotate This is an excellent music store that isn’t your typical music store chain.
I usually stop by at this store once a week. My credit card company loves me for this.
Located at their new Queen West location, when you walk in, you’ll see flyers of upcoming shows and magazines. Walk to the back and you’ll see the collections of CDs on either side of the wall carrying numerous genres. They carry artists that you wouldn’t normally find at other music stores, so it’s worth coming here to check them out.
I mainly visit their vinyl collection. You can find new and used records, offering a selection of rock, punk, reggae, and jazz. Their prices are reasonable in my opinion, compared to other shops and the quality of the vinyl is good.
It’s also a good place to buy concert tickets, despite previous entries bemoaning their service fee, their rate is not that expensive.

Buy all your concert tickets here. Check online to see what they have, make a phone call to see if they still have it, or just pop in to check. Generally they update the website pretty regularly and they have a list posted outside to make it easier for everyone.
Service fees are dirt cheap compared to evil Ticketmaster (now they even charge you if you pick up your tickets! $ 3 handling fee? SERIOUSLY? I hate you). Rotate charges about 10% a ticket, which they don’t refund if the show gets cancelled, but they will refund the ticket itself, which I’ve had to do once.
They have a pretty hilarious policy for their concert tickets listed on their website which makes me laugh every time. Don’t let the disclaimer intimidate you, the place isn’t scary at all and staff have always been nice to me. Just don’t be a scalper and everything will be fine.
Music-​wise, they carry all sorts of genres, maybe pushing a bit towards the punker side of things, but there are enough indie stores in this city to cater to that audience. Come here for cheap tickets and good music. Which is more than enough for me.

I pine for the old days of Rotate This. Their store was cramped, and the sound of clacking CDs made me feel like the store was the hamster wheel fueling the world of music.
Then the Internets came along, they relocated further west, and it lost a bit of its charm. Even simple logistical things aren’t present, like their unlabelled listening station. A little write-​up or the band’s name wouldn’t hurt.
As for concert tickets, yes, they do sell them, but the one time I made a special trip out for tickets, I was pointed to Soundscapes because they’d sold out. Not their fault, and it’s a totally fine store, but given that I personally haven’t gotten what I’ve needed from this store gives me more of a reason to head to Soundscapes.

When I heard that Rotate This! had moved from Queen Street West, I was mortified. This was a place that held a huge range of alternative and non-​mainstream music and for my money represented the true heart of Queen Street West. Moving, I thought, would hurt a little bit of the feel of Queen West and also displace Rotate This! such that it just didn’t feel right. How could you put such a store in the Annex? Yonge & Eg? Or worse yet… Rosedale?
Thankfully Rotate This! moved from Queen West to… well, Queen West. Crossing the street and moving a wee bit more west, the new digs are clean and definitely give RT! a fresh start. But the meat of the store is still the same. The same type of music is still on offer. Bands still swing by to give allotments of tickets for sale at their store so that you don’t have to go through TicketMaster. The range of music still exists and the staff are still as knowledgeable as ever. I’d still not recommend going in and humming the chorus from the song you’re looking for, especially if that song is «I’m a Slave 4 U». You may not be asked to leave, but I hope that you are.