FOLLOWUP: Easy Street Records’ flood recovery, with a special delivery

Easy Street Records proprietor Matt Vaughan had a special delivery to make this morning: Tarps. Five days after firefighters from Station 32 helped with initial mop-up after a burst pipe flooded part of the store (as first reported here Friday), he brought their tarps back.

We found out Matt was on his way over to Station 32 when we stopped at Easy Street while in The Junction this morning to see how things were going post-flood (and post-broken window). He’s grateful for the community support and appreciates everyone’s continued patience as they recover.

Though he lost thousands of records and hundreds of apparel items to water damage, the shop is open, as is its café and bar, and the ongoing schedule of shows, signings, and listening parties carries on.

West Seattle Mad Sci Guy October 9, 2024 (8:06 pm)

I know insurance ain’t great and probably has a high deductible so it’s complicated but I hope they were insured all the same.

WSB October 9, 2024 (8:54 pm)

Matt told us he’s dealing with insurance.

Chrissy D October 9, 2024 (9:07 pm)

Is there a GoFundMe site?

JunctionResident October 10, 2024 (9:01 am)

Easy Street is the soul of West Seattle

Al King October 10, 2024 (10:06 am)

Back in the day wasn’t that space Peoples Drug Store? Then, wasn’t it a shoe store for a while after Shallot’s(remember the golden egg?) closed?

Matt Vaughan October 10, 2024 (10:55 am)

Correct! I recall People’s was shut down by the DEA for selling Valium over the counter. No? The shoe store was a father/son business, lasted a cpl years. They also had a major flood and I don’t think they ever recovered from it. What was Shallot’s? The space sat vacant for almost a year, was a bit of a taboo corner. The SFD had red tagged it. A friend of mine and I fixed it up, i opened in Aug 1989. I had been at 4537 (where new Mystery Made is) since Nov ‘87. I had previously worked at Penny Lane Records (in that same location) in the mid 80’s before I was given the remaining lease (18 months left) by my old boss Willie Mackay after he decided to make a life change. He still runs the ski school at Crystal Mountain. I was a sophomore at Seattle U before deciding to drop out and do Easy Street, but even w that being said, I didn’t think I’d do it for too long. I preferred short term leases back then. I booked shows and was a tour mgr ( on Alice In Chains tour 92-3). I went back to school in ‘94, after… I committed to Easy Street and put everything into it and was all in. Thanks for support all!

Al King October 10, 2024 (1:17 pm)

Matt. Shallots(sp?) Was across the street and the middle of the block and was a shoe store. Parents bought me all my shoes there. The shoe store where you are was an employee of Shallots who opened it up when Shallots closed. As far as the drug store yes, the owner was selling a legal drug-cough syrup I believe to the same guys every month. He was selling 3 TIMES the statewide monthly sales every month just from here. His claim was “I didn’t know it was a component of an illegal street drug” Because of his age he escaped jail by surrendering his license and closing down.