Over a month ago, staff at the Weekly received a handwritten letter from Los Angeles-based musicians Whitney Tai and Mike Green along with a promotional poster for what they’re dubbing "The Record Store Tour." The tour officially kicked off May 23 at Nola Mix Records in New Orleans, Louisiana then quickly transitioned to a north-bearing west coast tour that includes a stop at Recycled Records in Monterey on June 10.
The pair say the tour is a rebellion against the music industry. Tai sent hundreds of letters all over the country explaining her and Green’s mission in addition to social media and poster promos. Co-owner of Recycled Records Bree Cookson says she’s only met them online and has coordinated their show via social media.
“They reached out to us and it seemed like such a cool project,” Cookson says, adding that the artists sent sample records to the shop too.
Tai and Green say they are both sick of the corporate music model and are determined to revive community within the craft. For Green that originated through backyard performances.
“I’ve been booking gigs my entire life and the grind and hustle culture behind it is exhausting,” explains Green, calling out a "capitalistic chokehold" that companies like LiveNation have on concert events. “It’s all these things except the music,” he says.
Tai’s vocal work is recognized by independent music reviewers like American Songwriter and Music Connection as one that “tears away at your soul with unrelenting passion.” She chose to release her latest studio album "American Wasteland" in Los Angeles vinyl record shop Licorice Pizza.
Green saw a move like this as something that needs to happen for music to survive the wrath of the “broligarchs” gatekeeping art in streaming services.
“It really is an issue,” Tai says. “It’s so costly and unattainable, and we get ignored by venues which is why backyard shows became such a big thing in Los Angeles.”
Tai and Green began collaborating in addition to their individual music projects a few years ago.
Tai’s track, “Slumber Party” in her 2025 LP, makes excellent use of long synths paired with ethereal vocals that were somehow lost in the 1980s. The message stays consistent with the artist’s ethos to fuel a tour like this. “It’s all about realizing that you’ve been manipulated and don’t have to keep complying or RSVP’ing,” Tai says.
Green’s sound compliments Tai’s with a languid tempo that crescendos with a dampened yet hard sophisti-pop guitar. His lyrics in his single “Bug” echo Tai’s message by saying, “we were once original.”
To run the tour, Tai and Green are independently sponsored by canned cocktail company Art and Rev and Schecter guitars, who have donated an instrument to be raffled off to goers at Recycled Records tomorrow. The rest of it is accomplished by Tai and Green’s own skills and dedication, which includes mobilizing their own stage presence within each shop they visit.
To them the risk is high but worth it.
“Investments and years have gone into a moment like this. We have to make sure that it hits and people feel and resonate with this event,” says Tai.
“I can’t afford to fuck up,” adds Green.
Whitney Tai and Mike Green perform 6pm Wednesday, June 10 at Recycled Records, 604 Lighthouse Ave., Monterey. Free; RSVP required. https://partiful.com/e/rQ9one0Za6WFqADnEjuZ