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By Rory Grennan, Kate Lambaria, Katie Nichols, Somer Pelczar, and Emily Schneider
Collection Overview
Title: Periscope Records, 1993-2014
ID: 12/9/141
Primary Creator: Sokolski, Jon (1952-)
Other Creators: Dodds, Marci (1959-)
Extent: 3.5 cubic feet
Arrangement:
Organized in three series: Series 1, Marci Dodds Professional Papers, 1996-2010; Series 2, Scope Publication Files, 1993-1998; and Series 3, Periscope Business Records, 1990-1997, which has three subseries: Subseries 1, Administrative Materials; Subseries 2, Photographs; and Subseries 3, Sound Recordings.
Subject Files in Series 1 are arranged alphabetically. Floppy disks in Series 2 are arranged by type of material, and chronologically thereunder. Series 3 is arranged chronologically within subseries. All other materials, including the sound recordings in Series 1, are arranged chronologically.
Date Acquired: 03/00/2015. More info below under Accruals.
Subjects: Band Musicians, Blues-rock music, Champaign, Illinois, Interviews, Journalism, Music -- Illinois - Business and Industry, Music business, Music stores, Newspapers, Popular Music--Illinois--Urbana-Champaign, Publications, Retailing, Rock Music, Rock musicians United States
Formats/Genres: Business Records, Newsletters, Sound Recordings
Languages: English
Scope and Contents of the Materials
Consists of office records, transcriptions, sound recordings, and publications documenting the operations of the Periscope Records music retailer and record label, including editorial files and published issues of the Scope newsletter and the Octopus weekly tabloid newsaper. Of particular interest are recordings and transcriptions of interviews conducted by Marci Dodds for publication in Scope and the Octopus, with interviewees including Belle & Sebastian, Frank Black, Solomon Burke, the Eels, Absinthe Blind, Fu Manchu, the Reverend Horton Heat, Jonathan Pines, Iggy Pop, Smokey Robinson, Todd Rundgren, Matt Talbot, and Dave Wyndorf.
Collection Historical Note
Periscope was record store in Champaign that was owned and opperated by Jon "Cody" Sokolski and his wife Marci Dodds. The business opened its doors in the Old Farm Shopping Center at 1711 W. Kirby Ave in December1990. In 1993, the pair began publishing a music newspaper, The Scope, which served as a platform for both the business and the 1990s alternative rock scene. In 1994, Sokolski opened a second store in downtown Indianapolis at 247 S. Meridian, which was managed by his business partner Dennis Beard. The following year, Sokolski moved the Champaign business location to 219 N. Neil Street, applying for a Champaign City Redevelopment grant to improve the building. Sokolski closed the Indianapolis location in 1996 due to a loss of profits caused by city construction projects. Between 1995 and 1997, Periscope's Champaign location began hosting CD release events that featured live bands, including Sokolski's band, the Delta Kings. However, due to rising costs, the business closed in 1999. Afterwhich, Dodds, who had contributed to The Scope, began serving as music editor for the local newspaper The Octopus. Sokolski also transitioned in his career, becoming a property developer and founding One Main in 2004.
Biographical Note
Jon "Cody" Sokolski (1952- ) was born and raised on Manhattan's Upper East Side, his father was an attorney and his mother an architect. Sokolski decided to become a musician after seeing The Lovin' Spoonful in Central Park in 1967. He began studying percussion, but transitioned to guitar at the request of his parents. As a high school student, he attended concerts by Alice Cooper and Iggy Pop. He also became an apprentice to rock historian Lillian Roxon. Sokolski began his studies at Goddard College in Vermont, but left school to live with Peter Green (of Fleetwood Mac) in England. Following this he served as a roadie for the band Osibisa and then the blues musician Fred McDowell.
After moving to Boston, he co-founded the band Johanna Wild with Jon Butcher and Jeff Linscott. He briefly attended the Berklee College of Music, studying jazz, but left college once again to pursue a career in music. After moving back to New York, he joined the punk band, The Dictators, on bass in the mid 1970s. In the late-1970s, he briefly branched out to managing and producing artists, turning down Billy Squire. With the band Falcon Eddy, he toured alongside the Kinks, Meat Loaf, and Rush. Following this he joined the Secret Chiefs, which included former members of Joan Jett & the Blackhearts.
He married Marci Dodds in 1986, and in 1989 he decided to move to Champaign, Illinois to open a record store. The two opened Periscope Records in 1990. Four years later he joined the blues band The Delta Kings. After Periscope closed in 1999, Sokolski formed the band Cody and Gateway Drugs. In 2004, he briefly transitioned into property development, becoming the CEO of One Main Development in Champaign.
In 2016, he and Dodds moved to Chicago and Sokolski began performing as Dario Cohen. During the pandemic, he transitioned in his career once more, working in liscensing and signing deals with NASCAR, Keeping Up With the Kardashians, the Discovery Channel, and Universal Music.
Subject/Index Terms
Administrative Information
Repository:
The Sousa Archives and Center for American Music
Accruals:
3/31/2016
Acquisition Source:
Marci Dodds and Jon Sokolski
Acquisition Method:
donation
Box and Folder Listing
Browse by Series:
[
Series 1: Marci Dodds Professional Papers, 1996-2010],
[Series 2: Scope Publication Files, 1993-1998],
[
Series 3: Periscope Business Records, 1990-1997],
[
All]
- Series 2: Scope Publication Files, 1993-1998
- Sub-Series 1: Scope Publications, 1993-1998
- Box 9
- Folder 1: Scope, 1993
- Folder includes January and December issues.
- Folder 2: Scope, 1994
- Folder includes February, March, May, June, July, August, October, November, and December issues.
- Folder 3: Scope, 1995
- Folder includes January/February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, and December issues.
- Folder 4: Scope, 1996
- Folder includes January/February, March, April, May, June, July, and August issues.
- Box 8
- Folder 27: Scope, September 6, 1996
- Folder 28: Scope, October 4, 1996
- Folder 29: Scope, November 1, 1996
- Folder 30: Scope, December 6, 1996
- Folder 31: Scope, January/February 1997
- Folder 32: Scope, March 1997
- Folder 33: Scope, April 1997
- Folder 34: Scope, June 1997
- Folder 35: Scope, July 1997
- Folder 36: Scope, August 1997
- Folder 37: Scope, September 1997
- Folder 38: Scope, October 1997
- Folder 39: Scope, November 1997
- Folder 40: Scope, December 1997
- Folder 41: Scope, January 1998
- Folder 42: Scope, March 1998
- Folder 43: Scope, April 1998
- Sub-Series 2: Administrative Files, 1994-1998
- Box 1
- Folder 81: Scope music summaries, 1994-1997
- Folder 82: Scope website outline, 1998
- Folder 83: Scope advertising countact sheets, undated
- Folder 84: Scope Notes, October 1996
- Folder 85: Scope Notes, September 1996
- Folder 86: Scope Notes, November 1996
- Folder 87: Scope Notes, December 1996
- Folder 88: Scope Notes, January/February 1997
- Folder 89: Scope Notes, March 1997
- Folder 90: Scope Notes, April 1997
- Folder 91: Scope Notes, May 1997
- Folder 92: Scope Notes, June 1997
- Folder 93: Scope Notes, July 1997
- Folder 94: Scope Notes, August 1997
- Folder 95: Scope Notes, September 1997
- Folder 96: Scope Notes, October 1997
- Folder 97: Scope Notes, November 1997
- Folder 98: Scope Notes, March 1998
- Folder 99: Scope Notes, December 1997-January 1998
- Folder 100: Scope-Subscription forms, ca. 1996
- Folder 101: Scope-Advertisement Art and Minis-Logos, undated
- Box 3
- Item 23: bowie.txt (ascii text), undated
- 3.5in floppy disk.
- Item 24: Scope back-up, February-December 1994
- Label includes: Feb. '94, Mar. '94, Apr. '94, May '94, June '94, July '94, Aug. '94, Sept. '94, Oct. '94, Nov. '94, Dec. '94, Summary '94. 3.5in floppy disk.
- Item 25: Scope 95, March 1995-February 1996
- Label includes: Mar., Apr., May, June, July, Aug., Sept., Oct., Nov., Dec., Jan./Feb. 3.5in floppy disk.
- Item 26: Scope Jan. '95, January 1995
- 3.5in floppy disk.
- Item 27: Scope July '95, July 1995
- 3.5in floppy disk.
- Item 28: Scope backup '96, March 1996-January 1997
- Label includes: March, April, May, June, July, Aug., Sept., Oct., Nov., Dec., Jan. '97. 3.5in floppy disk.
- Item 29: Scope back up disc, March 1997-July 1997
- Label includes: Mar. '97, Apr. '97, May '97, June '97, July '97. 3.5in floppy disk.
- Item 30: Scope-Dec., December-February (unknown year)
- 3.5in floppy disk.
- Item 31: Scope Backups, undated
- Label includes: periscope.scott, Feb., Mar., July, August. 3.5in floppy disk.
- Item 32: Scope, undated
- Label includes: June, July, August, September, October. 3.5in floppy disk.
- Item 33: December Scope, undated
- Label includes: WP 6.0, 1 file (xmas 2), Word 2.0. 3.5in floppy disk.
- Item 34: Scope-March Word 4.0, undated
- Label also includes: May-Word 4.0 (in directory labelled "May"). 3.5in floppy disk.
- Item 35: My Mail Lists backup, August 1995
- Label includes: --customer, --labels, --sub. 3.5in floppy disk.
- Item 36: Old Files WP 5.1, 1995
- Label includes: wpdocs\sean, bmgfll, dontech, house2, memo4, musicmas, newstore, partlist, phonelist, tangpr1, tangpr2, omnium, \business\, indymayo, pscopepo, sonydir, szinsure, szmcleo2, szmcleod, szmemo01, szpo#. 3.5in floppy disk.
- Item 37: Back-up Files and Dead Files, circa 1994
- 3.5 in floppy disk.
- Item 38: QB Backup, undated.
- Label includes: Marc 1, 2/28, 3.5in floppy disk.
Browse by Series:
[
Series 1: Marci Dodds Professional Papers, 1996-2010],
[Series 2: Scope Publication Files, 1993-1998],
[
Series 3: Periscope Business Records, 1990-1997],
[
All]
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