ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Go For a Spin at Back Alley Music
Words and photos by Story Sheidow
With the ebb and flow of chain retail music stores, one thing has remained constant in the Island’s musical landscape: Back Alley Music.
First located, quite literally, in a back alley off Kent St., Back Alley Music was a poignant part of many Islanders’ youth in the 1990s. With a focus on vinyl, as opposed to the then-popular CD, Back Alley offered a glimpse into the music scenes, both on and off the Island, in a way that wasn’t yet possible for that generation. Aside from the occasional mixed tape from a pen pal, or magazine top 10 chart, discovering new music was difficult before the days of the Internet. Touring bands were ogled from afar: What were they wearing? Listening to? How’d
they get their hair to do that? And yet, somehow, Back Alley managed, even then, to be dialed in to nearly every genre. From skate punk, to roots reggae, everything was represented. And that still holds true today. Years later, Back Alley is not only still surviving, it is thriving. Under the ownership of local musician Pat Deighan, it’s recently seen some exciting changes. Now in a bigger, brighter location, the shop offers everything from before, plus more, with regular in-store concerts, local zines,
122
www.pei-living.ca SUMMER 2018
Made with FlippingBook - Online magazine maker