Of all the collections accumulated by one of Port Orchard’s newest business owners, none brought more of a smile to the face of Julian Maltby than his extensive assortment of vinyl records.
It’s a passion that he grew up with in the walls of a record store operated by his father. As his passion grew for the dated music format, the music industry rediscovered vinyl as a viable product. Today, vinyl continues to thrive in an entertainment economy that left it for dead just a few decades earlier.
“There’s lots of interest for vinyl coming back up for years and years,” he said. “As of 2022, according to NPR, it took over all of the media sales, physical sales in the industry.”
The rise in popularity, along with a continued love for music, motivated Maltby to start a new venture as a business owner. By the end of June, C-Side Records is expected to open in downtown Port Orchard.
“It’s quite an honor to be a part of the whole community, you know, in bringing it up from an assortment of antique shops rather to a lot of different local vendors,” he said. “You have a candy shop and a place for coffee next door, and I feel like a record store is kind of the next step of interest for most people.”
“We’re so excited,” said Amanda Markovich, Maltby’s partner of five years who will also work in the store. “To have our foot in a historic downtown is so amazing.”
With Vinyl Injection just a mile and a half away, C-Side Records won’t be the only record store in the city. However, its downtown location provides a prime spot for Port Orchard residents to find whatever they might be looking for, including the unexpected.
“As far as genres in house, I plan to have everything from country, western standards to electronic obscure dance music from 1997 and everything in between,” Maltby said. “I’d like to see a community of music listeners find what they want locally rather than have to resort to internet sales or your large warehouse type of thing.”
Maltby said he also hopes to bring more music events to downtown, hinting at a possible collaboration with the historic Polaris Theater when it reopens.
It’s a dream come true for Maltby. Markovich, who’s seen his love of music on a personal side, knows how much the new store will mean to him.
She said: “I love to see him chase after his dream, and this has always been something he’s always wanted to do, to have a space of his own that he can help other people find what they like. I’m just happy to see him dive after all of that.”
