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On a recent trip to Boonton Coffee, Shane and Michele Murphy noticed a vacant storefront at 520A Main St. The West Milford couple knew immediately how to use it.
Shane, a U.S. Army veteran, and Michele will soon be opening Hidden Tracks Records, a music store and intimate music venue. The grand opening will be held on Saturday, June 1. Click here for tickets.
The store, named after Shane's podcast, HiddenTracks, will feature new and used vinyl records, CDs, cassette tapes, stereo and record equipment, music gifts, accessories and apparel.
The store aims to support the indie music community by serving as a venue for bands, the first concert to be held on Thursday, June 6 at 8 p.m. featuring Dylan Clark of the Milwaukees and Jonah Matranga from onelinedrawing (click here for tickets).
"We know how powerful music can be in bringing people together and thought this community would be a perfect fit for our new venture," Michele said.
Going to see live music has been Shane and Michele's "lifeblood," she noted. The couple attends approximately 100 concerts each year.
During the pandemic, when attending live concerts wasn't an option, Shane started his weekly podcast, HiddenTracks.
"He missed going to see live shows and talking to people about music, so he decided to make it happen from home," Michele said. "Every week since August 2020, HiddenTracks features an artist to highlight discussing their unique musical journey and how music has played a pivotal role in their lives."
Among the artists Shane has spoken to are G. Love, Wild Rivers, John Easdale from Dramarama, Ben Nichols from Lucero, Chris Higdon and Kevin Ratterman from Elliott and Ken Stringfellow.
"The music community he has built through this weekly podcast is now budding into Hidden Tracks Records," Michele said.
In a recent statement, Shane said he's looking forward to spreading his love of music with locals.
"I couldn’t imagine a better community to serve as home base for our mission of uniting people through the power of music.”
Hidden Track Records, 520A Main St., Boonton.
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