New Record Store Abraxas Wax Spins Into Town

Picture this: the fall sun streams in through the windows of a brick building in downtown Eau Claire, while Carlos Santana’s electrifying guitar riffs and the scent of cardboard vinyl covers permeate the air. You’re flipping through records, searching for the perfect new addition to your collection. This record store is new, but it’s also different. Abraxas Wax has allure like no other.

Seth Larson has had this dream for a long time. He’s been working at it for years, and has faced many challenges and setbacks in making this dream a reality. But it’s becoming one – soon. Abraxas Wax is coming to fruition this Saturday, September 30th, for their soft launch. 

Seth was raised in Eau Claire, on a farm south of town. He didn’t have much access to the excitement of the city, so he found entertainment in music. He began collecting media in the form of cassettes at a very young age, and graduated to records in high school. “I never really stopped from there,” he says. He’s been collecting records for almost 20 years now, and his place is “flooded” with records to show for it. 

Seth liked sampling records for the ambient electronic music he makes for fun, but also found he just liked listening to a variety of music – so, he got a turntable at a young age and never looked back. His passion for music and specifically the record space is evident – he clearly finds art in every piece and is genuinely connected to the music, and just wants to inspire and share with others.

That’s why he named his record store Abraxas Wax. It’s based on a Santana album, one of Seth’s favorites. The name has lots of meanings, but Seth says it’s mostly about one thing. “In essence, it’s just people’s spiritual connection to music,” he explains. 

He wants to curate more of an eclectic mix of music at Abraxas Wax, so that anyone can come into the store and find something that sparks them. He’ll have the hits, new and used, but he wants to represent every corner of music – jazz, funk, international, the works. He seems to respect every type of music and finds something good in all genres, and that shines through into the collection that the store has. “I’m very open-minded when it comes to music, and I think you have to be,” he says. He is inspired by the eclectic record shops in bigger cities like New York. “They just have the wildest stuff,” he says.

He’s been driving all over the country to find interesting records, including Michigan, Chicago, and Colorado. Not only that, but as a fan of international music, he’s established accounts in Sao Paulo and Tokyo, with London in the works. He has 15 accounts worldwide and is on a mission to find the best records to bring to Eau Claire.

There are a lot of plans in place for Abraxas Wax, including a lounge, multiple types of media, and colorful containers where the records will be out for perusing. Olivia Coughlin helped to design the fun interior of the store.

You can find Abraxas Wax at 320 Graham across from 200 Main Art & Wine Gallery, open this Saturday. They’re planning their grand opening for October 28th, with a Halloween-themed celebration in the works. Stay tuned here and at their Instagram, @abraxaswax for more.