Second Chance Records opened in July 2025 in Portland's Mt. Tabor neighborhood — and for owner Tasha Brain, the location was never really a question. She lives here, and she knew instinctively this was where the shop belonged. Mt. Tabor is the Eastside at its best: tight-knit but laid-back, a little grittier than the west side, and all the more interesting for it. At the center sits an extinct volcano turned beloved park, with trails winding through old-growth trees and enough open space to make you forget you're in a city. It's a place people move through slowly, with time to notice things. A record shop fits right in.

The store feels like an extension of that ethos — light and bright, with exposed beams, a concrete wall, real plants, and natural light, but it never takes itself too seriously. There's a bench and a loveseat if you want to stay a while, and a listening station if you'd like to hear a record before you commit. In an age of algorithmic listening, that invitation to slow down feels quietly radical.

Tasha personally curates every item. Each record is cleaned twice — first with a Spin-Clean manual washer, then a HumminGuru ultrasonic cleaner — listened to, sleeved fresh, and marked with condition notes. You know exactly what you're getting.

SCR hosts in-store performances and features a rotating monthly visual artist, making it as much a community venue as a shop. That's very much the point. Second Chance Records is designed to be a safe third space — somewhere that belongs to everyone, rooted in a neighborhood that already knows how to make people feel at home.

The name isn't accidental. "Second Chance" carries a double meaning — and Tasha knows firsthand what it means to need one. As a justice-impacted individual, she built this shop on a simple belief: that real change starts with honest conversations, in our communities, with our neighbors, and with each other. One day she'll hire her first employee, and when she does, she'll be a second chance employer. For now, she's proud to say she's already hired her first: herself.