So today April 20th was record store day all across the country. Participating stores had special releases of vinyl records from different bands. Some stores were lucky enough to have the bands show up for an acoustic set and signing. Where I am there were about 3 participating stores. I headed first to Edward McKay's because it was closest to the house. Plus as a RSD perk, (which I found out about this morning), they were giving away a Jimi Hendrix poster and Beatles bag if you could answer a few trivia questions. I got them both right (yay!) and I walked away with some cool items (check them out below). As far as the record section itself, they had a fairly good selection, but I really wish record stores in my area had a wider selection of vinyl records, not just 70s and 80s music, but also music from the 90s and early 2000s.
I ended up once again buying a record from the $1 section of the store, but this time it was a full length album. I also ended up buying a CD that has been nearly impossible for me to find on vinyl. But it being my first experience at this store, it was very positive. The staff was very cool and I'll definitely check them out again in the future.
(Kind of sad it's a little blurry. I had the cashier that checked me out take the picture, but they also took a picture of me that you can see on their Facebook page.)
I ended up once again buying a record from the $1 section of the store, but this time it was a full length album. I also ended up buying a CD that has been nearly impossible for me to find on vinyl. But it being my first experience at this store, it was very positive. The staff was very cool and I'll definitely check them out again in the future.
(Kind of sad it's a little blurry. I had the cashier that checked me out take the picture, but they also took a picture of me that you can see on their Facebook page.)
|| Hat: H&M || Tee: Delicious Vinyl tee || Sweater & Jeans: BDG ||
Next I headed to my old stomping grounds of NC State University and was dying to check out a few of record stores there. WELL that didn't turn out so hot.
I really wanted to check out Schoolkids Records, but as I pulled near, there was a line out the door at least 50 people long. I'd been there before and the store is on the smaller side, so I knew it would be awhile before I even got into the store. I know that RSD is an awesome concept, but I didn't feel up to waiting in line. So I headed down to Nice Price Books and Records about a mile and a half down the road. There wasn't a line so I parked and headed inside.
After going to school in the area, this was one place I really had wanted to check out, but I never got the chance. And it was a pleasant surprise. They had a decent setup and between them and Ed McKay's, Nice Price actually had a better and wider selection to choose from. The guys in Nice Price were very helpful and nice, but I walked out empty handed, but also made a note to revisit them in the future.
My goodies:
(The only things I paid for were the $1 vinyl and the CD with the sunflower, everything else was free.)
So I think Record Store Day is a pretty cool concept and am already making plans to check it out again next year! It is so important to support local stores in your area. I love and prefer to buy hard copies of my music on vinyl over CDs, (mostly because the bulk of my CDs are in a box out of sight), but also just love the sound. So now all that is left is for me to do is to find a place to hang my poster...
