The Eastside’s only independent record store, Vortex Music and Movies on Totem Lake Boulevard, is planning to expand to a new storefront next month, which will also coincide with its third anniversary.

Boosted by a returning popularity of vintage vinyl records, owner Daren Compton said he hopes to attract more customers at the new location near the Value Village on 12400 116th Ave NE, which offers more parking space and has more visibility.

Despite the rise of digital downloads for both music and movies, Compton’s store is proof that people have an affinity for physical products. Most of his sales, both online and in person, are vinyl.

“The collective market has given me a boost,” he said.

Compton sees Record Store Day, which was officially founded in 2007, as a sign of its revival after vinyl underwent a sudden decline in popularity between 1988 and 1991.

With many of the records supplied through his own personal collection amassed over 40 years, filling up storage units and garages, the new store will have more space to display them.

A former chef at Merrill Gardens, he grew up on classic rock like Led Zeppelin, the Beatles and The Who, whose records adorn the store along with other classic rock bands. He also remembers that the first album purchased for him at age of 7 was the Beatles Sgt. Peppers during the fall of 1967.

“I made sure it was in stereo,” he said. “I got the mono version later. But that album was truly meaningful art. It didn’t have the typical love songs and singles.”

“My original thought was that the brick and mortar store would drive the website but I am rethinking that because I think the web drives the business,” Compton told the Reporter in 2011. “We have an active audience that orders online.”

He also buys used vinyl records from customers, who can either take cash or trade it for another record.

In addition to vinyl, the store also features old movie posters, eight-track tapes, Laser Discs, Blueray and DVD films.

Compton said that he plans to do a gradual move into the new location, culminating in a third anniversary celebration that includes live bands. Currently, he reserves a small space in the corner of the store for live performances.

Find out more about the store at vortexmusicmovies.com.