A rendering of how the store's facade will appear on 9/1
(PARAMUS, NJ) -- The sounds of vinyl will once again echo through the halls of the Westfield's Garden State Plaza with the grand opening of The Sharp Notes, a new record store owned and operated by New Jersey-based educator, musician, and music journalist Evan Toth.
Located in the heart of Paramus, NJ, The Sharp Notes brings back the golden-era thrill of physical media—reimagined for 21st-century ears. The store specializes in both new and used vinyl, compact discs, select audio equipment, and a curated collection of music-inspired gifts. From freshly pressed indie gems to iconic reissues, The Sharp Notes aims to become a cultural anchor for music lovers across New Jersey and New York.
Toth, a high school principal by day, has spent his career advocating for students with learning disabilities, while also building a parallel life in the music world. A skilled pianist. guitarist, singer-songwriter, and longtime podcast host, Toth has interviewed luminaries including Carlos Santana, Kenny Loggins, David Duchovny, John Rzeznik (Goo Goo Dolls), Corey Feldman and Graham Nash on his Sharp Notes podcast. His deep well of musical knowledge and reverence for physical formats make The Sharp Notes more than a shop: it’s a living, breathing extension of his lifelong relationship with music.
Toth MCs a panel at the Making Vinyl conference
In fact, the store is a direct outgrowth of The Sharp Notes blog and podcast—a platform Toth created to explore music history, artist interviews, and vinyl culture. Now, those ideas take physical form in a dynamic retail and media environment.
Beginning this fall, Toth will record and host The Sharp Notes podcast on-site, with a working studio space inside the store. Mallgoers and customers will be welcome to observe live recordings as they browse, offering a rare glimpse into the creative and editorial process behind music journalism.
“I want this to be an open studio,” said Toth, “something alive and transparent. If you walk in during a session, you’ll see how it all comes together—and you might even hear yourself on the final episode.”
“Being part of the library board connects deeply to the mission of the store,” he said. “It’s about stewardship—taking care of stories, whether they’re on paper, on vinyl, or in the air.”
Much of The Sharp Notes’ inaugural inventory comes from Toth’s own personal archive—a carefully curated collection of over 10,000+ records, acquired through decades of scholarship, passion, and performance.
“These aren’t warehouse overstock or bulk buys,” he said. “These are records I’ve lived with. Sharing them now feels like I’m passing on part of my own story—and hopefully starting someone else’s.”
Toth outside of the new location
Toth’s relationship with the Garden State Plaza runs deep. As a teenager, he spent countless hours in now-defunct record shops like Sam Goody and The Wall, experiences he credits with shaping his musical identity.
“Some kids went to the arcade or the food court,” he said. “But I lived for the record stores. That was my education. To open a shop of my own in this very mall feels cosmic.”
While the doors of the shop will officially open on Labor Day, Monday, September 1, a grand opening celebration is scheduled for Saturday, October 4th, featuring live music, giveaways, and exclusive in-store releases. Music fans of all generations are invited to step into a space where new notes meet old grooves and where the culture of listening lives on.
Evan Toth is a New Jersey-based educator, musician, writer, and host of The Sharp Notes, a long-running podcast and blog focused on vinyl culture and contemporary music. He is the principal of a high school for special education students, a contributor to analog audio expert Michael Fremer’s Tracking Angle site, has served over two decades as a DJ at WFDU 89.1 FM, and currently acts as Vice President of the Hawthorne Public Library Board. A former audio production instructor at Felician University, Toth brings his experience in education, broadcasting, and music to The Sharp Notes.
