As many gear up for Dane County’s first outdoor farmers’ market of the year this Saturday, Madison music lovers will be abuzz for more than farm-fresh cheese bread: The fifth annual Record Store Day celebrates a different brand of local goodness. Since the all-day, international event kicked off in 2008, it has taken place the third Saturday in April. This year, many stores are trying to one-up the festivities of Record Store Days past.
Record Store Day connects artists with their fans via limited edition albums and live music events. Discounts and giveaways also provide added incentive to opt for a local record store, with more than 700 independent record stores in the U.S. participating each year. The day’s official site recommends “being BFFs with your neighborhood record store.” Conveniently, Madison has at least five of them.
“[Record Store Day] is a great antidote for all the negative press record stores get for being a ‘dying breed,'” said Dave Zero, owner of MadCity Music Exchange. “We’ve been able to change with the times and give people what they want.”
Zero’s store has been involved with the event since its inception, and he reported that the customer reception has consistently been positive.
“It’s huge. It’s turned into our biggest day of the year,” he said. “We try to make sure the customers we see all the time are taken care of because they celebrate Record Store Day every day and every week. We’re also really excited about getting new people in here for the first time to see what we’re all about. New faces and regular faces; there’s something for everyone.”
He added that the number of special activities and general “party” aspects of the day have snowballed since the first year. The store will open at 8:30 a.m. with a variety of prizes and sales, most notably collectible vinyl. Zero said the store will take advantage of its Williamson Street location next to restaurant and bar Bandung, which will have live music, food and drinks throughout the day. MadCity is also planning to have “buskers,” or street musicians, stationed outside the record store to add to the musical experience.
“We’ll bring out all of our big eBay-worthy type records that we don’t like to give to eBay; we like to give our customers first dibs on everything,” Zero said, pausing to emphasize that Record Store Day is incomparable to sale events like Black Friday. “We always have a busy day, but we’re not trying to promote quick, cheap stuff. We’re trying to remember music is something special and shouldn’t be so quickly dismissed and gobbled up.”
The more centrally-located Exclusive Co. has a similar ethic when it comes to observing Record Store Day. Its lineup for the day is perhaps the most star-studded in the city, anticipating a free performance from Sarah Watkins, formerly of Nickel Creek, on Saturday evening, as well as having singer/songwriter Sara Bareilles in-store during the day for autographs.
There will be extended hours, giveaways, a used item sale and DJs spinning in the store as well. Assistant Manager Aaron Miller has worked at this Exclusive Co. location for 10 years and said Record Store Day is meant to generate excitement about traditional music recordings. He feels this goal has been achieved among the store’s customers each year.
“Record Store Day is to remind people how cool it is to have physical copies of music: things that are unique that you can’t download. You can’t download the tie-dyed Flaming Lips vinyl,” Miller said, in reference to a limited edition album that co-worker Caitlin Salach is eyeing.
“One of the coolest things they’re releasing for Record Store Day is the Flaming Lips’ huge collab album; Bon Iver is on it, Ke$ha, Nick Cave, like a million artists. Each individual vinyl they’re releasing is 100 percent unique, hand-mixed tie dye,” Salach said.
“There’s almost like an art to owning a record. I think it gives people a reason to go out and appreciate music beyond going to see a live show,” she continued. “It just puts a lot of integrity into collecting music.”
Both Salach and Miller agreed that vinyl is increasing in popularity among casual as well as more avid collectors. Record Store Day is just one way to embrace such a trend among music enthusiasts.
“For me personally, I think purchasing vinyl is an up-and-coming thing, and I like all the attention that’s being brought to it. It’s actually the first time in years that the sale of vinyl hasn’t gone done per year and is starting to go up,” Salach said. “Digital is going down; even CDs are going down. So, I just think it’s really fascinating how since the ’50s it’s gotten smaller and smaller and smaller, and now it’s almost like a collector thing or a hobby.”
Some stores get involved in Record Store Day more subtly. Ear Wax is a unique landmark in the city for its punk and metal focus, but these tastes do not stop it from taking part in the event. Owner Rob Cleveland said he tries each year to “latch on” to Record Store Day’s limited edition releases that might appeal to his consumers.
“There are a few titles, but there’s not a lot of punk and heavy metal coming out. We try to make up for it with good sales,” he said.
Ear Wax will be offering 25 percent off all used vinyl, and he said the event is a helpful way to remind people that the medium is still out there; after all, “They never stopped making vinyl.”
Across the globe, special-edition 7″ records will be released Saturday from artists like Artic Monkeys, Beach House, David Bowie, Ray Charles and more. ArtsEtc.’s top album to watch for this Record Store Day is the Carolina Chocolate Drops’ cover of Run DMC’s “You Be Illin,'” especially since this vinyl comes with the rap group’s original recording on its B side.
Speaking of B-side, the so-named record store that’s sandwiched between Ear Wax and Exclusive Co. on State Street will also be a good stop on Saturday. B-side owner Steve Manley is an old hand at the Record Store Day rigmarole, and his store will offer refreshments, goodie bags and giveaways, in addition to a storewide sale.
“We will have DJs from WORT most of the day Saturday [and] will be bringing in a lot of limited edition vinyl,” Manley said.
“Also, the Literacy Network will have professional musicians, mostly local, planted everywhere to raise money for literacy. On State Street, there will be music all over the place. It’s coincidental but it’s kind of nice that it just happens to be the same day,” he said, highlighting that Literacy Network’s fundraising event will provide an added presence of music that is a critical part of Record Store Day.
Catering to not State Street but Monroe Street, Strictly Discs targets solely CD and vinyl consumers. The store endorses itself as the host of “Madison’s heaviest Record Store Day event” and is certainly highly publicizing it, sending email announcements to customers more than a month in advance. The store’s cornucopia of Record Store Day offerings include grab bags, discount vinyl accessories like cleaning fluid and 15 percent off all in-stock Pro-Ject Turntables.
Friday’s agenda at Strictly Discs boasts a WSUM live broadcast, and Saturday will see local artists and DJs spinning records in the store. The store’s website claims there is a “unique culture surrounding independent record stores” and that “part of keeping the culture of music alive is keeping record stores healthy and vital parts of our communities.”
With the participation of every major independent record store in Madison, Saturday seems destined for success in the music department.
“It always surprises me when I hear of a record store that doesn’t want to participate,” Zero said. “There’s so much promotion, and it’s really a fun time. It’s not like it’s Go Buy a Sweater Day.”
The fifth annual Record Store Day, the celebration of “real live record stores,” is all day Saturday, with some Madison stores opening at midnight. Tweet @recordstoreday for real-time updates.
