Meet Manuel Barba | Owner, Traffic Record Store

We had the good fortune of connecting with Manuel Barba and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Manuel, where are your from? We’d love to hear about how your background has played a role in who you are today?
I was born in Hollywood California in the mid 70’s during a time when music, art and culture were proliferating in the greater Los Angeles area. As a young Latino growing up in East Los Angeles, it was easy to be influenced by the sights and sounds of the colorful urban landscape LA so effortlessly grants her residents. Older siblings and cousins blasting the music of Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin and The Doors, while my mom waking us up most weekends, singing Mexican Rancheras and Corrdios, are experiences still etched in my mind, heart and soul. I watched closely as my uncles and aunts carefully placed diamond-tipped styluses on spinning black platters containing whole worlds inside them. There’s a power in those early, formidable memories, and I knew if I waited patiently, I’d find my voice of expression through those same spinning discs. Some of my earliest memories are of music and the way it made me feel. As a result, I became the annoying kid who collected, almost ceremoniously, the records of my relatives, deceased and living, whose collections risked drifting into absentia. I knew it was my task to gather and preserve this family history and as a result, I still have those records in my own collection today as containers of days long past and memories preserved within each groove. Despite my pursuing other careers and educational goals (I have a Master’s Degree in clinical psychology and worked in both social work/therapeutic service for almost 20 years) I knew music was how I really wanted to make my way through this world. I feel privileged to own my own business and I know my record store, Traffic Records is a direct result of those precious memories.

What should our readers know about your business?
Truth be told, previous to owning a record store, I had no idea how to organize and run a business. Initially this little experiment known as Traffic Records was nothing more of an attempt to see how far I could take it. This was ultimately an exercise in risk taking. With little to no budget, little inventory and even less experience in retail, I opened the doors of my modest 400 SF operation to the community in Spring of 2018 and never looked back. Even my choice for it’s location was a guess. Although some tried to convince me to take my idea to a more high volume destination, I ultimately chose Atascadero Ca. as my jumping off point, because I saw it as a vacuum. simply put, there wasn’t a record store there and I thought there should be. Shortly after opening, it was clear that the community was in full support. Families and couples, freaks and geeks, music nerds and novices all came out to see the new spectacle that was my store. As we evolved, those early visitors/strangers, became friends, regulars and loyal supporters helping us grow and become the vibrant experience we are today. During those early times, I struggled with how we were going to continue acquiring collections and inventory that would help us along. I worried the well would go dry and we would see eventual declines in our acquiring of product. Although we sell new inventory as well, our used record selection is what truly sets apart and as this fear of failure in me tried to take hold, this insecurity gave way the reality that our community wanted us to succeed. I am proud to say that our magical little stores are now places where people gather, share their love of music and a sacred place to transition ones personal collection to the hands of others. We feel a scared bond with our customers and those entrusting us with their music. I understand and feel pride for the role we play in preserving and passing on the memories contained within. After 5 years of hard work and sacrifice, we now boast two locations and multiple full time employees between both. Traffic Records is only beginning and I can’t wait to look back in 5 more years and reflect on where I’ve taken it.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
As the local record store and taste makers, we are often approached by visitors from out of the area with requests for recommendations on food, wine, etc… As you might imagine, I’m incredibly happy to oblige and take my role in this rather seriously. I at times feel like an ambassador for my town and sing the praises of our community offerings to anyone who will listen. First let’s put Traffic Records in situ. Generally speaking we are located in North San Luis Obispo County, along California’s magnificent Central Coast. and the heart of wine country. Our primary location (our Mothership) is a 2000 SF building directly in the center of Downtown Atascadero Art’s district (5850 Traffic Way). I tell everyone and anyone that our block Traffic Way is one of the hippest and coolest spots in all of America. In one small block we boast…

1.) a distillery (Central Coast Forager) owned by Eric and Ana Olsen. This distillery makes undoubtedly some of the finest spirits in the county with a full bar program and delicious bites.

2.) Nogi’s Japanese restaurant curating some of the finest in traditional Japanese sushi. There are only 3 tables and Nogi is the sole sushi master chef behind the bar, so plan ahead and don’t get upset if you don’t get a meal the first time.

3.) a bar/venue called The Raconteur Room which hosts live shows during the weekend and an amazing assortment of local beer and wine.

4.) The Carlton Hotel which is a lovely and breathtaking historic, boutique hotel who has seen it’s share of celebrities and glamour over her years of operation.

5.) Ancient Owl Beer Garden, a stunning outdoor space boasting undoubtedly some of the finest craft beer handles on the central coast. they are about to open their second location so stay tuned there for more updates.

6.) An art store known as The Artery, which is family owned and operated. They have been pioneers in our community championing art and music a full 15 years before our arrival.

7.) Recently we’ve been blessed with an arcade two doors over from our location and it’s always packed. Andy’s Awesome Arcade is a welcomed addition to our street and since Atascadero is an open container community you can walk in with a beer in your hand, no problem!

8.) Colony Market flanks the corner of our block and makes some of the best sandwiches we’ve ever had!

9.) A gently used and finely curated bookstore called Book Odyssey is such a precious resource and we love knowing that folks can shop for books and records all along the same block.

10.) Dark Nectar Coffee is roaster and coffee shop which has recently started having live shows,. We love their scene and what their growing over there and are happy to shout them out here.

11.) Farron Elizabeth is women’s boutique run by Farron herself who also has recently opened a second men’s store called Bloke on the same block.

All of these businesses are within 1-block of the Majestic Traffic Records, among so many other new and established boutiques, shops and more.

With respect to our new Paso Robles location (610 10th St.) we are nestled in Downtown Paso Robles, a community which has some of the finest wineries, restaurants and shopping in California. Additionally, Paso Robles has an outdoor amphitheater called Vina Robles which hosts 30-40 outdoor concerts annually. Traffic Records is proud to be a partner with Vina Robles, as I am a supervisor at the venue, in addition to running both of my store locations.

Last honorable mention for Paso Robles is an amazing little winery in Tin City called Hubba Wines,. My dear friend Riley Roddick the the owner and wine maker. In addition to her absolutely spectacular wines, her winery holds one of the best kept secrets in North SLO County, The crossing Stage. Just below her tasting and production rooms, lies a stage area big enough to hold up to 300+ folks. I am proud to say that Traffic Records is a main sponsor of a summer concert series while I have been tasked with curating the lineup which runs ever Friday from April to September.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Like most of us, the influence of our older siblings and parents really becomes the catalyst that helps shape who we ultimately become. With that said, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention my brother Albert Valdez. Albert is a highly respected artist in Los Angeles who also oversees an education outreach program which is a massive collaboration between Los Angeles Unified School District and La County Museum of Art (L.A.C.M.A). Before he was the accomplished adult we know and love today, he was just my older brother who introduced me to a world of music and expression, I never knew possible. My brother wore black before I knew it was cool, listened to groups like Joy Division and The smiths. Ushered in my early introduction to punk, post punk and new-wave. I admired my brother and still do. He’s one of the reasons I love music as much as I do and to this day, we are still concert buddies. From my earliest concerts and music festival-going days, to experiences with live music we still share today, my brother Albert has been by my side through it all. and although my record collection is still better than his, there was no bigger champion for me and my store when I announced to my family I was leaving my career of almost 20 years to pursue a path in music. Traffic Record store was the result of that decision and today with the support of not just my brother, but my family, community and friends, I am proud to say I have two locations serving San Luis Obispo County (Atascadero and Paso Robles). Thanks to this incredible support, we are celebrating our 5 year anniversary in April of 2023.

Website: https://www.trafficrecordstore.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trafficrecordstore

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/trafficrecordstore

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/traffic-record-store-atascadero

Image Credits
Manuel Barba