In 2025, Morteza and I got our first record player. For the last few months we have been buying lots of vinyls. We finally got our first signed vinyl. Let me tell you how.
Every Sunday, we head to the Hollywood Farmers’ Market to pick up our weekly produce. For anyone who has been there, it’s hard to miss the avant-garde guitar player who has become a staple of the atmosphere.
Here is a glimpse of his unique sound:
For two years, we frequented the market without ever actually speaking to him. While I stopped by weekly to listen, I always felt a bit shy and never wanted to interrupt his performance. Recently, while mentioning him to a group of friends, I realized I should probably just Google him. In a city like LA, where influencers and street performers are everywhere, I figured someone must have posted about him.
It turns out he is somewhat famous.
That’s the strange thing about living in Los Angeles: the people you encounter in your everyday routine are often either famous, think they are famous, on their way to being famous, or simply dedicated to an art form that eventually makes them so.
Internet folks, meet Hisao Shinagawa, if you haven’t met him yet. There is even a documentary about his life and music:
After seeing this trailer and his outlook on life, I knew I had to get a hold of his music. I found his vinyl in a store in Florida and ordered it. We brought it with us to the market today.
As soon as he saw it, his face lit up with surprise; he recognized it immediately. He even started mumbling the lyrics to “More Money, More War” as he held it. He was kind enough to sign and date it for us, writing: “To Mine and Mort.” He was genuinely amazed that we found a record from “Rock ’N Roll Records”, a label, he made sure to tell us, that also published James Brown.
As we said goodbye, he told us to “stay in touch.”
We certainly shall, Hisao-san. We’ll see you next Sunday. Take care.
