We had the opportunity to interview Chuck, the owner of Encore Records. He shared that Encore “has been placed in a ??? by critics and press but we do embrace all genres of music but admittedly with an emphasis on hardcore and Metal. Encore Records has a terrific selection of vintage metal tees and tunes, and the owner Chuck is a trip! When asked the importance of music in the Austin community he told us that, “it connects us to everything in our lives from heartbreak to joy. It reflects our being and haunts our conscience. Tells us who we are or what we should be. It’s fun, enlightening, stimulates action and sometimes inaction”.
Encore Records is archetypal Austin, maybe more so even than Waterloo Records, as it is a classic, niche market, old school shop specializing in content that the owner himself is passionate about. Not trying to be some catch-all of what is hip and trending, but rather a bastion of a specific and defined music subculture, most of which never gets mainstream attention. Chuck really is fighting against the grain to keep this language alive.
Chuck tells us that he is an art lover, which is like music to our ears! SprATX is dedicated to finding like-minded companies, organizations, and artists that share the love of art and creative expression. Chuck “feels that the mural scene is not only about beauty but teaches that some don’t hear that outdoor creativity doesn’t have to be an expression of self and if you create something that others will enjoy you are less likely to express frustration with your position in life through graffiti. That if you develop talent via creation your feeling of creation is much better than frustration”.
Part of the purpose of this project is in hopes that “it might offset the effect of downtown gentrification on my business. Our taxes have tripled in the 5 years we’ve been down here. Our landlord has done his best to lessen the impact and is not to blame in any way. His grandfather built this building in 1918. He once ran a used car lot on the back where the mural is located. He has been good to us. It all began two years ago during SXSW when the city first metered all the parking in our area and culminated with the sale of the lot next door for a 9 story building. The city thinks that if a structure like that can be built nearby we should pay taxes on our appraisal relevant to the worth of a neighboring property”.
“I love the mural. My landlord likes it too. I feel that J Muzacz certainly exceeded any expectations that I held before he began. I feel that his image was channeled from a screenplay I’ve written about a tragedy from my youth. I call it Carlisle Park. He I’m sure hasn’t read it or learned of it in advance from myself or anyone else for that matter. In the story in the last series of events three black men are killed in a car much like the one he portrays on the wall. They were driving a 64 or possibly a 63 Chevy hardtop when they initiated a gun battle that I found myself in the middle of. Now I have a mural with 3 ghouls in a 63 or 64 Chevy Low Rider Convertible flipping off a raw deal… I love it.” — Chuck
J Muzacz would like to “give thanks and express my gratitude to all the supporters, friends, fellow artists, patrons, and wall owners who grant me the opportunity to do what I love, and to scrape out a living doing it. Thank you and Keep up the Art!”