Vinny Galarce knows how music savants like their vinyl records packaged and sealed.
Having spent the past 15 years selling vintage drums, he also knows which models people will want to buy, and in what condition.
It wasn’t until two months ago that Galarce’s previously online store saw new life in brick and mortar.
He and his wife, Lina Toledo, opened Drum Bug Music at 345 High St. S.E. on July 22.
Galarce, 53, said his love for music dates back to the first time he heard Creedence Clearwater Revival in the third grade. He started playing drums and played in a couple of bands in his home city of Santiago, Chile.
A fan of Kiss who became disappointed by the band’s foray into disco, he was eventually introduced to Judas Priest through their 1979 live album from Japan.
“Since then, I didn’t look back. I’ve been into metal and hard rock forever,” he said.
He and Toledo, 41, have been married for 20 years. They met in Santiago when Galarce saw her wearing a shirt with the 90s rock band Ugly Kid Joe.
“We started talking music right away,” Galarce said.
It was in Santiago that he first began selling drums, with the goal of eventually opening his own store for drums and records he collected. But he thought the path to opening his own business would be more feasible in the U.S.
Galarce applied for his visa, which was a 13-year-process, and he and Toledo married before moving to Los Angeles 19 years ago. There, Galarce sold vintage drums and records through sites like Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist under the name Vintage Drum Bug, while adding to his own collection of vinyl records
When the cost of living eventually became too high, they decided to move to a place that reminded them of home – Oregon.
“It’s unbelievable how close they look, and the weather,” he said. “So for us, it’s like being home.”
The pair initially thought about moving to Portland, but after driving up to Salem for a weekend, they found what they believed was a more fitting place to raise their 14-year-old daughter. “We didn’t want to deal with big city problems,” he said.
They moved four years ago to Salem, where their collection of drums and records continued to grow.
Galarce and Toledo also perform at local venues such as festivals, bars and breweries with Sabbath Witch, their Black Sabbath tribute band for which he is the drummer and she is the singer.
He said they opened their store in Pringle Park Plaza two months ago with an understanding of what models, finishes, sizes and prices people typically look for in drums.
“Being around drums and records for pretty much my whole life now allows me to be an expert on both fields,” he said. “Not every old record or every old drum is going to be sellable, or collectible.”
The store has rows of records up front and on the walls, along with stacks of cassette tapes and books – while the snares, bass drums and cymbals occupy the back room.
Their instruments include drums spanning from the 1930s to newer models from the 2000s – ranging from about $200 to $1,000 in price – as well as around 15 models of guitars.
Galarce said the store also has about 6,000 records in stock – with rock, jazz, country, classical, electronic, hip-hop – and another 9,000 sitting at home.
“I can honestly say that we’ve got the best selection of vinyl in Salem in this moment,” he said. “You name it, we got it.”
The records range from $2 in their clearance bin to $150 for a sealed copy of the 2006 re-release of Metallica’s Black Album.
They are thoroughly cleaned, with both the cover and the record itself coming in a plastic slip. Galarce said the condition is paramount on collectible records.
“We strive in our place to have the records in the best condition as possible,” he said.
Galarce said he hopes they can fill the void left by ABC Music Company, a music store in northeast Salem that closed in October 2021 after nearly 60 years in business.
Drum Bug Music also has a soundproof room where people can take drum lessons from Ron Petty, a drummer for the Salem classic rock band Phantom Phases, or play drums on their own for $25 an hour.
Before opening the store, Galarce used to drive as far as two hours from Salem to buy drums or collectible records. Now, people can bring them to the store to sell, which also gives him and Toledo a chance to get to know their customers.
“You’ve got jazz collectors that are super educated, you get punk collectors that are super funny, you’ve got metal collectors that they’re super loyal to the music,” he said. “Everybody’s got their own thing.”
Contact reporter Ardeshir Tabrizian: [email protected] or 503-929-3053.
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Ardeshir Tabrizian has covered criminal justice and housing for Salem Reporter since September 2021. As an Oregon native, his award-winning watchdog journalism has traversed the state. He has done reporting for The Oregonian, Eugene Weekly and Malheur Enterprise.
