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September 2023: Our newest venue

We're happy to report that we've added a venue to the OCRS "circuit" that looks like it's going to be a success: It's Half Off Books and Records in downtown Fullerton. The location is 141 W. Wilshire Ave., Suite A. This spot is roughly two blocks north of Spice Social, the Commonwealth Ave. restaurant where we've been performing for the past year.

Like most of downtown Fullerton, free parking is abundant. You just have to locate it. Half Off is in the 100 block of West Wilshire, just west of Harbor Blvd. and just east of Malden Ave. The open lot just northeast of the store and the covered lot just northwest of it are usually packed only on weekdays, so they're a good place to start, but if you strike out, you should be able to find free street parking nearby.

We inaugurated this location on Saturday, July 29 and are already cleared to perform there again on Saturday, September 16 and again on Saturday, October 21 from 2 to 5 pm. So OCRS now has two locations, and we'll now be appearing both at Half Off Books and Spice Social.

Half Off first opened in February of 2011 in Uptown Whittier. When its lease ended in the fall of 2017, it landed at its current location. Its purpose is to buy books, vinyl records, CDs, blu-rays, DVDs, comic books, textbooks, collectible media and more from the public, then re-sell it at drastically reduced prices. Ragtimers who are also bibliophiles will find plenty to like, and to possibly add to your collections at great prices. You're also welcome to bring a box or two (please, no more than two boxes per visit) of your own items, which will be evaluated before you'll be offered cash for any items the store projects it will be able to re-sell. Half Off's website states that the store's mission "is to always buy and sell anything printed or recorded and to always offer products at affordable prices."

Think you might get a bit thirsty or hungry while listening to OCRS's performers? The store doesn't sell food or drink, but each time we're there, we'll have bottled water and snack items on hand to distribute to our fans at no charge. A donation jar will be set out for patrons to help offset our costs – something we always appreciate.

We're excited about OCRS's prospects, and in the coming months we hope to see you at Spice Social, Half Off Books, and the Nixon Presidential Library and Museum. And who knows? Other nearby locations with pianos might emerge, giving us more locations where we can enjoy the ragtime music we all love.

Since last summer, we've had a total of 14 OCRS musicales, and to say they've been remarkable would be to understate. The latest was in July, bracketed by two concerts at the Nixon Presidential Library (June 4 and July 9). Click the links below to read about these and to get the details of some extraordinary musical events!

Also, mark January 7, 2024 and March 10, 2024, on your calendars. These are our next two ragtime concerts at the Nixon Library.

Along the way, some of you have inquired about RagFest. Nothing is scheduled yet, but we continue to work on paving the way for our next festival, and we'll be sure to get the word out as soon as circumstances allow a reboot of this annual event.

June 2022 OCRS Report

July 2022 OCRS Report

August 2022 OCRS Report

September 2022 OCRS Report

October 2022 OCRS Report

November 2022 OCRS Report

December 2022 OCRS Report

January 2023 OCRS Report

February 2023 OCRS Report

March 2023 OCRS Report

April 2023 OCRS Report

May 2023 OCRS Report

June 2023 OCRS Report

July 2023 OCRS Report


We also had a great time presenting five ragtime concerts at the Nixon Library in Yorba Linda - the first in September 2022, the second in October 2022, the third in January 2023, the fourth in June 2023, and the most recent in July 2023.


Here are the details of our next OCRS meet:
When: Saturday, September 16, 2023
Start time: 2:00 pm (and we’ll wrap up around 5).
Where: Half Off Books, Records and Films, 141 W. Wilshire (Suite A), Fullerton, CA 92832

Map of OCRS Location for September 2023 (Half Off Books, Fullerton CA)

Our OCRS events are FREE to the public. Please feel free to pass this along to anyone you know who loves this kind of music and has missed having it all this time. No RSVP is required – just be there if you can, and if not, stay tuned for more posts about future upcoming performances.

Wishing you all a great Summer 2023, and looking forward to seeing you again soon!