Meet us where the legend lives on
Val Camilletti opened up her record store in Oak Park in 1972. A music lover who worked at Capitol Records until they closed the Chicago branch, she could identify most songs from the first tune.
On a slow day at the store, Val was known for regaling employees and customers with her colorful stories.
At the record store, all customers were welcomed with open arms and employees became like family. That’s just what happened with Val’s General Manager Shayne Blakeley who continues to run the store after Val died of breast cancer in 2018.
Val’s hall Records is open Monday and Tuesday from 11am to 7pm, Thursday through Saturday from 11am to 7pm, and Sunday from 11am to 5pm. The store is closed on Wednesdays.
There is a stage at Val’s where live music acts of every genre perform. And there is a weekly Teen Open Mic event! On Sundays at 3pm, teens take to Val’s stage as part of a partnership with the Oak Park School of Rock.
Browsing the bins at Val’s will reveal records that range from $20 all the way to $150. Most records are about $30.
General Manager Shayne Blakeley will likely be behind the counter of Val’s halla Records when you pop in. Blakeley moved to Chicago from Michigan in the 1990s and started working with the legendary Val at the record shop.
Together they navigated the business through some major ups and downs, including the boom times when CDs flew off the shelf to the gloom times when the recorded music industry nearly collapsed when streaming services emerged.
There were the sad times, too, like when Val succumbed to cancer in 2018, and when Blakeley thought he would have to close the shop in 2019.
Community partners helped revitalize the store and the doors stayed open.
Today, the legend lives on after 50 years of bin browsing! Blakeley keeps the store going in Val’s name and in her vision as an inclusive store where a love of music is cultivated.
Located at 239 Harrison Street in the Oak Park Arts District, Val’s halla Records is just a four-minute walk from the Austin Stop on the CTA Blue Line.
