The Mystic Disc 40th Anniversary Gig

The store reached its 40th anniversary on 1 July 2023. To celebrate, we are putting together a huge gig at Mystic River Park on Saturday 30 September 2023.

The event will feature a group of speakers discussing their time in the store, including Telegraph Record Store owner Rich Martin and In Your Ear owner Mark Henderson, as well as notable journalist Steven Slosberg doing an onstage interview with Disc owner Dan Curland and his original partner Wall Matthews.

Music of the evening will be courtesy of local duo Xenos, performing their take on classic Greek folk music, acclaimed country/folk artist James Maple, and a reunited 17 Relics, playing for the first time in twelve years just for this night. Closing out the night will be world famous DJ Brian Carter, spinning his classic deep house mix.

Saturday 30 September 2023 will find us celebrating the 40 th anniversary of local
institution The Mystic Disc, at the Mystic River Park in Downtown Mystic, Connecticut.
Speakers and performers stretch the gamut from regional record store owners, to
recognized personalities, to musicians who owe much of their inspiration to what Dan
Curland built at 10 Steamboat Wharf in Downtown Mystic. The Mystic & Noank Library
is presenting the event.

The MC for our night is the Director of Admissions for Hampshire College in Amherst,
Massachusetts, Dan Pearson. Mystic born and bred, Dan witnessed the Disc
become the centrifugal force of the Mystic music scene in the late 1980s and 1990s.

The Lineup:

Stephen Chupaska was one of the earliest crate diggers at The Disc, which is a
term of endearment.
“My thirst for trivia often overrules a search for real-world experiences” Guardian UK
Stephen’s wit will be evident in his presentation.

Rich Martin built an empire, From Temporary Autonomous Zone, to The Secret
Theatre, to The Hygienic Arts Center, to The Telegraph Record Store, while curating a
music scene in New London, along with former Disc employee Sean Murray, that
defined and continues to define an era.

Wall Mathews is an accomplished composer, writer, guitarist, pianist, arranger, as
well as being Dan’s original partner in opening The Mystic Disc. Wall will speak on his
experience opening the store, and also perform an original musical composition,
accompanied by Dan Curland on Bass Guitar.

Steven Slosberg, the estimable, erstwhile columnist for The New London Day and
The Westerly Sun, will interview Dan Curland and Wall Matthews for a proper
discussion of the shop, and it’s achievements over four decades.

Xenos is an experimental folk group that merges the traditional songs and modern
sounds of the Greek island of Crete. Psychedelic, rock interpretations of Cretan folk
music, while honoring the rich musical heritage of the island, Xenos add their own
artistic sensibilities to create a new landscape.

Mark Henderson is the founder and owner of the In Your Ear chain of record stores.
He started their eventual climb to several Boston area stores by selling records, as the
Irish would say, from the “boot of his car” along the streets of the Cambridge college
campuses. Mark and Dan have been long time friends, and surprisingly, have
maintained a civility between Mark’s Red Sox rooting interest and Dan’s long time love
of the Bronx Bombers.

James Maple is a truly unique individual, helming The Lamplighter Trading Post
Company shop in Downtown Mystic, while simultaneously making his own music and
backing many other musicians across several styles. He will perform an original song as
well as giving his spirited take on what The Disc meant to him as a kid growing up in
Mystic.

Dan Curland, Disc owner, will give his version of the Max Yasgur “I’m just a
Farmer…” speech from Woodstock, to say his thanks to the people over 40 years.

17 Relics were one of the more acclaimed bands during the height of the Mystic
music scene during the 1990s. College Music Journal wrote about the band in 1992:
“Maybe it’s the dreamy quality of the small town life, or maybe it’s something in the
water in the town of Mystic, Connecticut that makes 17 Relics sound the way they do.
The truth is, you could slide your finger all the way down this year’s CMJ Top 150
bands, and you wouldn’t find a single band you could peg as an influence on 17 Relics.
They are mysterious, effulgent, literate, and melodically sturdy.”

They are reforming for Disc40, performing for the first time in 12 years.

Brian Carter is a world renowned DJ who is also a long-time friend of The Disc and
Dan. Brian will be closing out the night with a set of his trademark, one of a kind, Deep
House mixes.