Band tees merge the worlds of expression in fashion and music. Rock bands like AC/DC, Nirvana and Led Zeppelin have had their thumb on the zeitgeist of musical expression through merchandise. In Eugene, vintage stores have tapped into the popularity of band tees. 

Moon Rock Records

Moon Rock Records, located at 443 W 11th Ave, has a respectable collection of band tees. The store’s focus is selling records, yet the assortment of clothing is worthy of mention.

Along with their own branded apparel, the record store carries tees that fit the selection of music they have. Plenty of metal and punk band tees line the rack along with some classic acts. Some of the most common bands being repped are Green Day, Descendents and Black Flag. 

A few of the tees seem slightly out of place — a red and blue Weyes Blood tee stands out next to massive commercial successes like Queen. But sleeper-hit bands like Suicide having two colorways on the rack should make any band tee connoisseur smile gleefully. 

Epic Seconds

Epic Seconds on 30 E 11th Ave has, alongside records and posters of popular bands and artists, a small collection of curated band t-shirts with a range from mainstream success Van Halen to indie darling Elliott Smith. The range of styles displayed on the racks is based on the tastes of employees at Epic Seconds. This explains the mish-mash of genres ranging from jazz to metal. 

The tees come from various distributors and include an array of unique designs. But while the range is large, the depth is shallow. There is often only one tee available per design, and if it’s in the wrong size you could be out of luck. But this slight caveat should not discourage anyone from checking out the store because there are some real gems.

Wild Paisley Vintage

Wild Paisley Vintage, located at 37 W 13th Ave #204, has band tees from a litany of iconic rockers. Among the owner’s shirts are real pieces of vintage memorabilia and bootlegs from a variety of bands and movies.

“At this point band t-shirts are like collecting art,” Eugenia Borkowski-Sypherd, owner of Wild Paisley Vintage, said. Borkowski said the process of researching the history and value of band tees is fun for her.
Recently, a member of stage crew at Pacific Amphitheater and Irvine Meadows sold his entire collection to the owner, filling the shelves with rare offshoots from big tours. Because of this, Wild Paisley Vintage has an entire collection of crew-issue shirts, the shirts given to crew members at music venues. These shirts, from bands like AC/DC and The Who, line two racks in front of the register and offer an alternative to their official tour merchandise.

“There’s people who buy it for nostalgic reasons,” Borkowski said. “Older guys or girls who come in and are like, ‘I saw that band,’ or ‘that’s my favorite band!’ I feel like they’re really special gifts.”

Each of the three stores have a unique take on band t-shirts and carry different collections. Between the three stores there likely aren’t any repeats. Make sure to check out all three stores at their respective addresses or by their Instagrams listed below. 

Epic Seconds: @epic_seconds_

Wild Paisley: @wildpaisleyvintage

Moon Rock records: @moon.rock.record.shop