Meet Steve Taylor | Owner of Mystic Mountain Music

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

Hi Steve, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I had recently moved to this wonderful mountain town, Crestline, and realized it didn’t have a record store or much of a curated space carrying vintage items from the late 60s through early 80s, which is overall my favorite period of style and aesthetic. I had a feeling I could create a viable business, and more importantly bring more music and art to the mountains.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Mystic Mountain Music is a record and thrift store that seeks to have all of the best music that you’ve heard and haven’t heard yet. In addition to a great selection of iconic classic rock, 80s, and soul/RnB titles, we have dedicated sections for progressive rock, obscure singer-songwriters, yacht rock, and album artwork. I’m a lifelong music nerd and always trying to stock the best work from every genre. We try to turn people on to great albums they otherwise would never encounter, thus the prog, songwriter, and recommended sections. There are a lot of great albums under $10 that are slept on, so we love exposing those to new ears that might be on a budget. We have several $5 and under bins where you’ll still find some bangers. We keep our prices relatively low, so you can get out of there with great dollar bin records or some classics that will be 1/3 or more less than you find elsewhere. I grew up when used vinyl was the cheapest way to acquire new music, and I want people to still have that feeling that they’ve found some lost treasures and they’re not being price gouged.

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?
The west side of the San Bernardino Mountains (Crestline, Lake Arrowhead, Running Springs, Skyforest, Valley of Enchantment etc) is stunningly beautiful and home to more and more great businesses. If you’re in Crestline, a walk around Lake Gregory is essential, followed by stops at Encompass and Flying Squirrel, then up to Hearth & Sage. Drive east and hit Spade & Spatula for lunch or dinner, then get the makings for cocktails at Littlebear Bottle Shop, some pristine vintage gear at Evergreen, and some pizza on LouEddie’s patio. Arrowhead Brewery is always a great hang, too. There are so many more to mention, that’s just off the top of my head.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
The Station in Joshua Tree was an inspiration in it’s time capsule 70s/80s aesthetic. Steve and Glen are friends and enthusiasts of that period, which I like to think of as the hippie era and it’s wake. The colors, patterns, funky fonts, and laid back whimsy are all there in spades.

Instagram: @mysticmountainmusic

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/mystic-mountain-music-crestline?uid=IFAoI0ZATBMHb6DSDX1EOw&utm_campaign=www_business_share_popup&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=(direct)

Youtube: https://youtu.be/wO8VhA3Y65U?si=I7PxHXW5wWT7Djts

Image Credits
Kenny Laubbacher took the photos of me