Music at low tide

By David Allen on September 27, 2011 6:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (5) |

There's no place to buy compact discs at Victoria Gardens (although there's a Best Buy across the street, if that counts). The closest thing to a record shop is this painted ad, artistically aged, for the nonexistent California Soul Records, which adorns a wall near the VG's sheriff's station a few yards north of Johnny Rockets.

This is one of many old signs at the open-air mall that add visual interest and mimic the idea of this being a real downtown with remnants of past businesses still visible. (A portion of another one, reading "Rugs," is at top left.) I doubt if most people get the joke, but I like it.

I also wish there were a California Soul Records for me to shop at.

5 Comments

John E. Bredehoft said:

Nowhere to buy CDs in a shopping mall? Now I know I'm getting old.

I remember when I first went to Victoria Gardens, I was admiring the fact that they had gone to such trouble to paint those murals on the walls. Then I realized that the murals were on paper.

[They're still cool, though. -- DA]

September 27, 2011 8:36 AM

Bruce R Kilgour said:

Actually, Hot Topic sells CDs...although not many that us "mature" folks might like!

[Really? I had no idea. -- DA]

September 27, 2011 9:51 AM

hugh.c.mcbride said:

A few years ago, I posted a photo of one of the VG signs on my Flickr account, & described it in the caption as one of the "faux vintage" signs that adorn the area.

A commenter said that the signs are real (and truly vintage) signs that have been relocated to VG.

I've never gotten around to verifying the veracity of that comment (or the provenance of the VG signs), but this seemed like an appropriate place to revisit this issue.

Not sure if HTML tags work here, so here's the URL of the the photo w/ comment: http://www.flickr.com/photos/hughmcbride/2521328917/in/set-72157604599258943

[I used to think they were faux but after seeing a battered sign for Dog 'n Suds (that is, or was, a Midwestern chain of my youth) I concluded they're probably real, repurposed signs. -- DA]

September 27, 2011 5:04 PM

RichP said:

Some may be copies of real sign, but there are multiple copies of several of them (or there used to be). And, some are intended to be pictures of shop fronts, not their signs.

[I believe the pictures of shop fronts are only placeholders until real stores open in those spaces. It's better than an empty storefront. -- DA]

October 2, 2011 3:51 PM

Dennis said:

Hi David,

I keep hoping someone else would ask, but no one has. What's the joke?

Dennis

[No joke. Just a comment on how the only record shop at the VG is a mural. -- DA]

October 3, 2011 6:23 AM