Record Store Day is celebrating its sixth year of being a nationally recognized day of record buying. The event, which takes place the third Thursday of every April, happens to fall on the same day of nationally recognized pot smoking, a notably convenient companionship.
Record Store Day is celebrating its sixth year of being a nationally recognized day of record buying. The event, which takes place the third Thursday of every April, happens to fall on the same day of nationally recognized pot smoking, a notably convenient companionship. This 4/20, not only will everyone be blazing their brains into oblivion, but all of the spliff-spaced youths will then ride their bicycles to and fro about Richmond, diggin’ through the stacks to find the cheapest gems of that melted plastic we all love so much.
This year’s RSD looks to have more in store than ever before, with in-store performances at every one of the participating businesses. All six participating stores — Plan 9, Steady Sounds, Deep Groove, Vinyl Conflict, Turnstyle, and BK Music — will feature some sort of live music, ranging from DJs spinning various genres to band record release performances.
Record Store Day can be hectic–you may wonder which store to go to, which store has the best deals, and which store has the records you want. Luckily WRIR has provided a convenient twist this year–a scavenger hunt involving every participating store. The hunt involves stopping at each of the stores to receive a clue from a WRIR DJ. All you need to bring is a camera (and probably a bike if you want to win). The details remain mysterious, but I think that’s the point.
Aside from the scavenger hunt, there’s a lot going on, and it might seem overwhelming, but here’s the run down:
BK Music’s gettting a jump on things by opening at 9 AM–so start there, and get your fill of all the limited edition Record Store Day specials before you can get them anywhere else. Then Plan 9 is kicking things off in Carytown at 10:00 AM with music from WRIR DJs Mike Rutz and Sunrisa, followed by performances from 2:00 – 6:00 by Julie Karr, Hotel X, The Mothball Fleet, a Dusty Springfield Tribute with Paul Ivey & the Rubes, Herschel Stratego, and Acquaintances. Deep Groove is getting things going simultaneously on Robinson, with DJs Jamie Lay and Kevin McFadin bringing the dance floor to the sidewalk until 2:00 PM.
Steady Sounds follows shortly after, starting at 11:00 featuring DJ’s Michael Murphy and Michael Miracle, both of WRIR. Following the mellow spinnin’ will be performances by Hoax Hunters and The Snowy Owls, promoting the release of their new split 7”. From 12:00-6:00 Turnstyle will feature a mix of electronic music spun by WRIR DJs. Oregon Hill record store Vinyl Conflict starts their live music at 2:00, with performances by Dorthia Cottrell (Windhand), Matt Conner (RPG), and Matt Seymour (of Pedals on our Pirate Ships).
Knowing the normal shenanigans of a Richmond Saturday, and knowing the endless amount of things to fill your day this April 20th, it looks like Record Store Day is going to be a big hit. Not only will you have chances to grab a ton of Record Store Day tie-in special releases, you’ll be able to spend the day hearing great music and checking out awesome live performances. So this Saturday, support local businesses, grab some sweet vinyl, and be sure to have fun!
For more details about Record Store Day, visit recordstoreday.com.
