Left of the Dial Records — 508 N Tustin St, Orange; 1.0 miles from campus

Open 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday; 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday

Named after a song by The Replacements, Left of the Dial Records has been keeping rock alive via vinyl since 2021, originally opening in Santa Ana in 2017. 

Inhabiting a larger storefront, Left of the Dial has no lack of inventory. After the loss of a friend and regular in 2020, the shop inherited 10,000 used records to add to its collection and maintains an extensive collection ranging in price from $3 to $50, including a selection of local artists.

The store offers a little bit of everything — including vintage band tees — but focuses mainly on a few genres. 

“Classic rock and jazz are my main two,” said the store’s owner, Bill Michelle. “I’m not your stop for modern music or hip hop, but I know ‘70s, ‘80s rock very, very well. So it was easy for me to build a store around that.”

An especially unique aspect of the shop goes beyond the records and into the equipment used to listen to them. The walls of Left of the Dial are lined with high-quality speakers and turntables, many of them vintage as well. 

“I love the gear more than the records,” said Michelle. “To be able to put out ‘70s gear with a warranty that no one else does, that’s kind of my niche.”

Over the years, one of the most special things for Michelle has been the community created by sharing a love for music. 

“I have people that come in semi-daily. It’s just fun to develop a relationship with these people that otherwise I would never have gotten to know,” he said. “It’s very easy to project the joy that I’ve had with records and gear.”

This will be the last Record Store Day that Left of the Dial celebrates — Michelle is closing the shop once the building’s lease is up in December, possibly earlier. After a great nine years and amid many changes in the industry, he decided it’s time to move on.

Those celebrating Record Store Day have been working to bring their customers the best of what innovations in physical music have to offer, from exclusive releases to limited-edition re-presses. Meanwhile, used record stores like Mr. C’s hold a sense of rediscovery, offering hidden gems and older classics pulled from personal collections. It’s this range that ensures Orange’s record stores truly have something for every kind of listener. 

For a generation born into all the options for music listening, choosing to listen to physical vinyls can be meaningful, nostalgic or just plain fun. No matter the day, purchasing from a local record store allows listeners to engage with what Record Store Day stands for: community, character and, above all, a lasting love of music.