Music fans jam in Gorge’s best vinyl sanctuary: Yesterday & Today; CDs DVDs too
Mark Thomas never knows what incredible or rare album may come through his door. A rare Jimi Hendrix, a beat-up bootleg — you just never know. He’s spent his adult life seeking the next great find.
Mark Thomas of Yesterday & Today New and Used Music at 414 E. Second St., The Dalles.
By Tom Peterson
Mark Thomas stepped into his first music store when he was 9.
It changed his life.
Mark with a rare copy of the Beatles’ Butcher cover.
It was 1964.
“My older sister took me,” he said. “It just felt like the right place for me.”
Mark and his sister were at Roth’s Music Center in The Dalles.
And they were taking advantage of the free listening booth - cueing up The Beatles’ A Hard Day’s Night.
One too many times, apparently.
Something clicked for Mark - the store, the sound, the incredible music.
ABOVE - TAKE A TOUR OF YESTERDAY AND TODAY.
“We must have done it one or two times too often. Mrs. Roth told us we needed to leave the store,” he said.
But the trap had been set. Mark, undoubtedly, was smitten with those incredible sounds.
So, when he got the chance 34 years ago, he opened Yesterday & Today in The Dalles.
The name refers to the Beatles B-sides compilation released in the US in 1966.
Mark’s been jamming ever since.
And why?
“It’s my love of music,” he said, simply.
It’s also the thrill of the hunt - he never knows what incredible or rare album may come through his door. A rare Jimi Hendrix, a beat-up bootleg — you just never know. He’s spent his adult life seeking the next great find.
That has worked to the advantage of local audiophiles, collectors, and people who just want to pull that air guitar and shred.
While Mark is partial to his beloved Beatles and has recently dove deep into Japanese Rock or J-rock, his store is thick with different genres. He puts an emphasis on Rock, Blues, and Jazz but Country, Reggae and even some World Music and Classical get their shelf space too.
He has done all the heavy lifting from speakers to stacks of LPs — he’s always collecting music and equipment.
He’s built a sanctuary for music fans in The Gorge. Is there anything more therapeutic than thumbing through those CDs and LPs?
More than 3,200 movies in stock on DVD. Blu-Ray as well.
Mark has an array of receivers, turntables, CD players, cassette players and a ton of speakers to choose from. Spin, Spin, Spin the black circle.
There are thousands to choose from in music and movies. He offers vinyl, CDS, DVDs, Blu-ray, cassettes, cassette decks, receivers, cd players, speakers, even some 8-tracks, and an odd reel-to-reel or 45.
Polk Audio, Optimus, Boston Acoustic, Cerwin Vega, and Pioneer are just a sampling of some of the name-brand used stereo equipment he has for sale.
And new Audio Technica turntables are available for those looking to get their groove on.
He recently started carrying new heavy metal vinyl, and it’s been slaying.
Oh yeah, and if he doesn’t have the new music you're looking for, he can order it or if you're looking for that classic album you used to make out too, he can put it on his looking-for list. Maybe it's Journey’s Open Arms, Marvin Gay’s Let's Get It On, or Metallica’s Nothing Else Matters?
CDs pack the shelfs at Yesterday & Today
Looking to sell your music? He can help there as well, buying and selling daily.
He is open Monday through Saturday in the cool store with carved basalt rock walls.
Mark's remarkable in two ways - his knowledge/memory and his dogged passion for music. He collects the music. He sells the music, and he’s the guy behind the counter.
Find him at 414 E. Second St., The Dalles.
He’ll be there.
Check him out on Facebook. Call 541-296-1441.
