Eric Wenstrom

Where the Music Matters

By Robert Waldner

When you walk into Music Matters Remixed, you might as well be walking

into owner, Eric Wenstrom’s, teenage bedroom. All his favorite band posters,

like Duran Duran, Dead or Alive, The Cure, Depeche Mode, The Smiths,

and Blondie decorate the walls. The shop gives off a homey, welcoming

feeling, which is exactly what Eric wants it to exude. As an unique kid,

growing up in St. Augustine in the 80s, expressing himself through music

and fashion was a form of escapism. He experienced bullying for being

himself and embracing an alternative look that showcased what made the

80s so colorful and memorable. The record shop is where he connected

with other like-minded individuals and musicians he idolized gave him the

courage to be himself. He says music saved him, a sentiment I think many

of us can relate to.

Back in the day, Eric was the guy spending all his time taping records onto

cassettes and making “mix tapes” for his friends, so when the opportunity

to buy Music Matters and “remix it” came about in 2020, it was a decision

that felt right to Eric. For many years, he had been splitting his time between

St. Augustine and Orlando, where he worked in the service industry. He

had been a long time customer of Music Matters since its opening in 1989,

not to mention a passionate collector of music and music memorabilia

his whole life. So even though we were in the middle of a pandemic, Eric

decided to follow his lifelong passion of loving music straight into a new

career path and business ownership. Eric’s goal was to reestablish the

record shop as a communal hang out spot, like it used to be. He might

have had the pandemic working against him when he took on ownership

of the store, but the vinyl industry was becoming a billion dollar industry

again for the first time since 1985. In a highly digital world, especially post-

pandemic, humans crave something tangible: a real sense of connection.

Music Matters Remixed provides just that. Once a customer and now the

owner, Eric enjoys connecting with the people who walk through his door

and being a small, but extremely special part of their lives. It’s the little

moments, for Eric, that make being a small business owner worthwhile, like

teenagers calling his store “their happy place” and couples visiting on their

first date. Since owning the shop, Eric has expanded the vinyl selection

and rearranged the layout of the store, making every usable inch of the

store an ode to all things music. In addition to records, you will also find

cassettes, CDs, t-shirts, posters, action figures, comic books, and so much

more. He takes continuing the legacy of Music Matters and providing for

its long time customers very seriously. Stop by one day and see what it’s

all about, pick up your new favorite record and talk music with Eric. He’ll

be waiting for you, likely wearing a band t-shirt, rocking his 80s hair style,

and his Converse high-tops like no time has passed at all. After all, time

stands still in this record store and once you pass over the threshold, you’re

transported back to all the glory of 1985.

"Loving Our Town" October 4, 2025