April 21, 2012
These seems to be a day for everything these days. There is a day that helps us mourn the loss of socks gone by (Lost Sock Memorial Day, May 8), a day to toss out your old fruitcakes (Fruitcake Toss Day, Jan. 3), and even a day where we can celebrate talking like a pirate (Talk Like A Pirate Day, Sept. 19).
So there shouldn’t be any surprise that the record store has a day of its own too.
Record Store Day started over five years when a group of independent record store folks got together in effort to increase the awareness of the record store. At that time, many of the major record store retailers were closing down. And as a result, the media was declaring the end of the record store as we know it.
And while it’s true that the big chains have gone out of business, there are still plenty of independent record stores that are still open for business. There may not be as many brick-and-mortar record stores as there was fifteen years ago before Napster came along and changed the game, but there are still places that music lovers can go and purchase music.
It’s 2012 now, and the musical landscape has changed. But there is no question that people’s interest in music is still very much alive. It’s just the medium that has changed. But for those of us who grew up with record stores, the iTunes store just doesn’t quite have the same effect.
For me, a trip to a record store was a special experience. One step into the store, and it was almost sensory overload. The sounds, the smells, the sights – it’s hard to explain. It’s almost as if you had to to be there. But you can still be there by going to the fifth annual Record Store Day on Saturday, April 21.
When organizers rolled out this idea in 2008, approximately 200 independent record stores participated. This year, organizers expect anywhere between 800 – 1000 stores will take part in the day. However, don’t let the name Record Store Day fool you. It’s not a day that just celebrates the vinyl
record. It’s a day that celebrates music and the music lover, and everything else in between.
In an effort to make the event special, record labels are offering special product that can be purchased only at participating stories on this day. A lot of this does skew towards the vinyl end of things. But don’t let that stop you. Record Store Day is your chance to take in the sights and sounds. It’s a chance to buy that new artist you have hearing about or perhaps buy that classic album you lost along the way. It’s a day that says it’s OK to feel a little nostalgic. You can even make it special event by taking the kids or the grandkids. This time, Instead of telling them about the olden days, you can simply show them.
Here is a list of participating stores within a 40 mile radius of Gaston County:
- The Birdsnest-Davidson, NC
- Lunchbox Records-Charlotte, NC
- The Record Cellar-Rock Hill, SC
- Carousel Music-Gaffney, SC
- Play It Again Records, Tapes, CDs-Valdese, NC
To learn more about Record Store Day and to view a list of participating stores,
visit their website at www.recordstoreday.com.
by Ben Dungan – [email protected]
