Written by Julia DuBois, Photos Taken by Preston Valles
2222 Broadway. Blue and Purple Walls. Vinyl in Trees. Records on shelves.
This is Spin Records.
Shopping at Spin Records was an event that I had high expectations for, but I still found myself thoroughly impressed after experiencing on my own. This store contained so much more than just music, but it had so much charm and personality as well. Each wall, shelf, and counter was covered in memorabilia that created an atmosphere of excitement and nostalgia, even for someone like me who did not exist in the times that are being reminisced over. Despite being self-proclaimed as “the messiest record store in Boise,” the space had an intuitive and inviting feel, which went on to create an engaging shopping experience.
Through genres I have never heard of, original pressings of records, new (used) arrivals, and one of the most impressive budget sections I have ever seen, the options for buying music did not disappoint as well. I was even fortunate enough to find one of my all time favorite records, one that has been living in my Ebay shopping cart for multiple years, “The Songs of Leonard Cohen”.
The owner of the store, Kirk, has been operating his shop for about a year now. He left California as a third generation San Franciscan, and decided to carry out his passion project of running a record store by packing up all of his vinyl from his previous location in the Bay Area, and traveling with them into Boise. This is where the supply of many of the store’s records come from, but Kirk is always on the lookout for more records to sell. He even, at times, gets approached by record collectors who decide to part ways with their collections and sell them to Kirk. He makes the occasional road trip out to these soon-to-be abandoned collections and returns with fresh and compelling music for his shoppers.
In Boise is where he fell in love with the space and atmosphere of his current Broadway location, and continued to make his record store owner dreams a reality. He has been able to explore the city through biking downtown and on the Greenbelt, as well as meeting like-minded Boiseians who venture into the shop. He even has been fortunate enough to find a team of people to collaborate with and make a record of his own, which will hopefully be released and for sale in his store sometime in the near(ish) future. Based on his store, and the high quantity of musical knowledge that Kirk seemed to contain, I am sure this record will not disappoint.
When you find yourself with the desire to expand your own record collection, make sure to add Spin Records to your list of stores to visit. Through the curated music selection and overall atmosphere, it will be an experience that you will be glad to have. I, for one, am very much looking forward to the next time I find myself at Spin Records.
