The Midnight Hour is Much More Than a Record Store

By Semantha Raquel Norris
Special for the San Fernando Valley Sun/el Sol

On a crisp December evening, like moths to a flame, punks, goths and “outcasts” of all ages float toward the glowing sign of The Midnight Hour Records in the City of San Fernando. Located on the corner of San Fernando Road and Maclay Avenue, the shop is one of the only places open at night on the mall, well after the quinceñera and bridal shops close their doors for the day. 

It makes its presence known in the “quaint” valley town, lining its windows with Pride, Transgender, Palestine, United Farmworkers and anti-ICE flags – a bold statement of “you are welcome here” to all those who may feel like outsiders. 

Owner Sergio Amalfitano abides by an ethos of “community over commodities,” which has made the shop a cultural hub for the Northeast Valley and a destination for Angelenos at large. The Midnight Hour Records is much more than a store – it’s a concert venue, a gallery space, a community center, a local history museum, a skill-sharing space, a safe haven, a third space for many who feel like they have nowhere else to go. 

“Everything that I’ve always loved and always participated in under one roof,” said Amalfitano. 

Yet building something truly unique is not easy. Due to tariffs, increasing operational costs and pushback from the small city’s elected councilmembers and conservative locals, Amalfitano said when the lease ends in January 2027, The Midnight Hour will close its doors. 

“Once it’s [the lease] up, we’re out of the city. No other reason, other than it is not financially viable to have a business in this city,” he said. “That doesn’t mean that I don’t love my community. That doesn’t mean that I’m not heartbroken that I have to leave.”

A Third Space

“Third spaces – like libraries, cafes, bookstores, record stores – are just as important as a community park where kids can go and play,” said Amalfitano. “They provide a space where you can meet other people, discuss ideas and create community.”

The Midnight Hour Records was founded in 2020 on Maclay Avenue. A year later, Amalfitano moved to the current location on the mall, where zoning allowed him to host live music.

Since then, the store has showcased an array of acclaimed alternative acts, including Ceremony, Knocked Loose, Dying Wish, God’s Hate, Militarie Gun, Tsunami, Haywire and Show Me the Body. These are bands that are Grammy-nominated, or play massive festivals and arenas, but have shown up to play this approximately 400-capacity room. 

“All of our bookings are not everybody’s cup of tea,” admitted Amalfitano, who also plays in the hardcore band ACxDC. He believes that being an all-ages space, The Midnight Hour can serve as an “entry-level gateway” into the world of music for people whomay not always have access to it. 

“Especially in the part of the valley that’s kind of neglected,” he added. 

“I don’t have a need to go to LA [anymore],” confirmed Kimberly Ortiz, a regular at the store. “I can go down the street.”

Ortiz, despite being born and raised in the Northeast Valley, said The Midnight Hour was the first place she ever felt welcomed in the City of San Fernando. 

“It’s way more than a record store. It’s a community space,” she added. “During these tough times, it’s very nice to have a shared, communal space where we can be safe and happy at the same time.”

With an eclectic selection of music curated by Amalfitano – some collected during his travels around the world while touring – The Midnight Hour makes its way onto every “best LA record store” list every year. 

“Music is culture, it’s philosophy, it’s history, it’s language, it’s politics, it’s all of that wrapped into one,” said Amalfitano. “I couldn’t imagine a world without music. How boring and dull would that be, driving in the car with no music?”

More than the accolades, Amalfitano is proudest when people tell him they fell in love, saw their first show or felt represented at The Midnight Hour. 

“I started a band because of Midnight Hour,” said employee Jesus Gomez, who described his time working at the store as “life-changing,” not only because of the community he gained from it, but also because of what he learned about politics, history and mutual aid.  

A Community Hub

Valley-based artist Daisy Carlene Villaseñor was selling artwork at the record store for the third time on a Saturday evening in December. She said it can be hard for full-time artists and creatives to have a space where they feel supported. 

With events such as Zine Fest and 818 Day, Amalfitano is constantly inviting local artists and vendors to The Midnight Hour to sell goods, swap ideas and be in community with other valley-based creators. 

“What this place, Midnight Hour, stands for is basically for all people and all communities,” said Villaseñor. “You feel that when you come in, before you even step in, you can feel like it is more than about the establishment. It’s about a movement.”

Amalfitano opens his doors to community organizing and mutual aid efforts. Once a month, LA County Youth Justice hosts free workshops in the space for local youth. When the deadly fires swept across LA last January, the store collected donations to distribute to displaced victims. When Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents began kidnapping people off the street in June, Amalfitano provided the space to local organizers for community patrol trainings and sold t-shirts to raise money for affected families. Not to mention the numerous benefit shows and events raising money for Palestine, immigrants, LGBTQ+ rights, fire victims and more. 

“We are a part of this community, and we want to give back [to it] as much as we are supported [by it],” said Amalfitano. He wants to “create community in the actual sense of the word … where you can reach out to somebody and say, ‘I need help,’ and people will be there through thick and thin.”

Amalfitano even started Museo Del Valle – a now permanent fixture in his wife’s sister-store, Cry Baby’s Rodeo – where they provide a free space for people to learn about local history.

He hopes that it encourages people to openly discuss uncomfortable truths of the past so that “we don’t forget our histories, we don’t forget our community, we don’t unwittingly‘other’ people.”

A Political Lightning Rod

Amalfitano is unapologetically outspoken, often motivating his tens of thousands of loyal social media followers to engage in local politics and be informed about the political stances of other establishments in the area. 

“Wear your politics on your sleeve. Put them on the windows. Let people know where you stand,” said Amalfitano. “Why do we have to pretend that businesses should not be political? Everything is.” 

When “parental rights” groups blocked a drag story hour at the San Fernando Library, Amalfitano was there, outnumbered and being called a pedophile for standing up against hate. He then proceeded to encourage residents to attend the San Fernando City Council meeting to show their support for the LGBTQ+ community and demand accountability. 

Similarly, Amalfitano encouraged participation in City Council meetings for commissioner appointments, for discussions about becoming a “sanctuary city” and the decision to end the Outdoor Market. He has publicly called out Rep. Luz Rivas for taking money from AIPAC and called for recall efforts against multiple San Fernando City Council members. 

Whether or not you have faith in the political process, Amalfitano believes it’s important to be informed about the decisions being made on your behalf, so that the community can prepare for how to deal with those decisions. 

“We have to know what they’re thinking. We have to know what they’re saying,” he said. “So we have to show up when they’re having these public discussions.” 

Amalfitano has also blasted other businesses on social media, including Quieres TacosWay and the San Fernando Coffee Company, for supporting President Donald Trump or following MAGA-related accounts. This has led to boycotts and defacement of the businesses. 

“It’s just information,” responded Amalfitano. “The community can decide whether or not they want to do anything with that information.”

The Midnight Hour has experienced its own pushback from those who disagree with Amalfitano’s politics or his methods.

“Tons of pushback,” he said, citing defacing of the building, homophobic slurs being tagged, bad Yelp reviews and angry phone calls. It has even led to potential targeting by the city, which has continuously denied him a liquor license and special event permits for pop-up food vendors. 

The End of an Era

“There is so much turnover of businesses in this city, [and] so little help,” said Amalfitano. “There is no promotion, there is no beautification, there is nothing helping them except themselves.”

Instead of encouraging people to visit the mall and revitalizing the space, the city is working harder to keep San Fernando a sleepy town, Amalfitano criticized, making it impossible for him to stay. 

“I would love to continue this somewhere else. I would love to, but I don’t have money,” he said.

The loss will be devastating for music enthusiasts, independent creators, youth, mutual aid groups and local organizers, who have clung to the store as a beacon in an underserved area of the valley. 

“This year, I’m going to focus on doing the absolute best that I can for this community,” Amalfitano declared. 

Whether with his business, Museo Del Valle or potentially even teaching in the future, Amalfitano will never stop pushing for a more inclusive world. He only hopes that he has left an impact on those who have passed through the doors of The Midnight Hour and inspired them to see their own potential.

“I view myself as a pebble in a pond,” said Amalfitano. “I hope that there’s a ripple effect, and I hope we all are pebbles in ponds that create this massive tidal wave of change.”