M u r p h y ’s V i n y l s h ac k:
For the record B y Pet e r DugrÉ • Ph ot os B y Jos h ua Curry
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here’s a time capsule at the corner of Carpinteria and Palm avenues. Or is it at the intersection of nostalgia and music appreciation? Murphy’s Vinyl Shack, 5285 Carpinteria Ave., is a tribute to a bygone culture of tactility, filled with retro merchandise that appeals to anyone wishing to wander the halls of rockand-roll memories. There are Beatles albums, movie posters like “Animal House,” copies of old MAD magazines and stickers for the kids. If one theme can be extracted from the creative curating of Murphy’s inventory, it might be browsability and physicality. The collection is rooted in 1970s Americana and is eclectic enough to fuel hours of perusing for forgotten and new material. “We sell a lot of classic rock, some jazz and around-theworld stuff,” says co-owner Kevin Murphy. “We keep a variety of material and pride ourselves on a quality product in clean, good condition. And we provide an enjoyable experience to draw in foot traffic and repeat customers.” Muphy, 62, and wife Cecelia relocated to Carpinteria from Ventura two years ago and opened the shop, confident that Carpinteria and its tourists could sustain a well-appointed record store. Landing on the idea of vinyl didn’t happen in a vacuum. There’s a rising tide of vinyl popularity, not just for originals released in the 1960s and ‘70s, but for remastered records, reissues, and contemporary music. On a weekday morning last spring, regular customer Peter Lemke walked into the shop on the lookout for a classic rock record. He had recently purchased “Let It Be” by the Beatles and was eager for his next acquisition. “Vinyl is so personal,” says Lemke. “You can hold SUMMER2019 63
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