courtesy Strictly Discs
A past Record Store Day block party at Strictly Discs.
A past Record Store Day block party at Strictly Discs.
The annual spring Record Store Day, a much anticipated happening for music fans in the Madison area, is set for Saturday, April 18. Many folks line up long before stores open for the chance to snag exclusive releases (mostly on vinyl) of both new and vintage music, and many others first flock to the used bins to discover treasures the stores have set aside for what is always a high-traffic day.
Established in 2008 by a coalition of independent music stores, the concept is simple but powerful: partner with artists and labels to present a slate of releases debuting on a specific day, in brick-and-mortar stores, along with planning special in-store activities. At a time when the increasing availability of music on the internet was really hurting independent record stores, it was designed to generate excitement about looking for music in person, rather than online…an admittedly easy task, but a lot less fun. What started as a handful of releases the first year has grown to a slate of hundreds yearly, and even a second RSD event the Friday after Thanksgiving. A list of this year's slate of records can be found at recordstoreday.com.
Since 2008, stores have come and gone in Madison but three mainstays from the early days of RSD are still in the game: B-Side, MadCity Music and Strictly Discs. They all open earlier than usual on April 18, and you can bet record shoppers will be lined up and ready for action. Joining them in offering Record Store Day releases this year for the first time is The Door.
Those looking to get warmed up for Record Store Day have the option of checking out St. Vincent de Paul's annual record sale, in what has become a tradition for crate diggers. That sale starts at the Williamson Street store on April 15. Read on for more about what's happening on April 18:
B-Side, 514 State St.: The last remaining record store on State Street celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2022 with a move to a new location, where the store has settled in nicely. Owner Steve Manley says B-Side has been a Record Store Day participant since the first year, though at the time he was hesitant to sign up given the dark economic times for record stores and the "hail mary" feel of the concept.
"But I gave it a try anyway and worked that first Record Store Day by myself. It was pretty busy, and I was pretty surprised," says Manley. "Now it would be impossible for me to work that day alone, or even with one or two other co-workers. It's non-stop action pretty much all day. I give all credit to the few east coast record store owners who cooked up this crazy idea. I'm convinced they sparked the vinyl revival, which saved B-Side from certain death."
The store will be open from 9 a.m.-7 p.m., with swag bags and posters as supplies last. All non-RSD items are 10% off for the day, and customers can sign up to win tickets for 20 upcoming Madison concerts.
Manley's picks: Talking Heads, The CBS/Columbia Demos, and XTC, Live at Emerald City 1981.
The Door, 4509 Monona Drive: The Door specializes in metal and other harder-edged sounds with much of its new stock, and that will be the focus for the store's first entry into offering RSD items, says owner John Sands. "I basically under-ordered anything that fits the store's vibe: the metal, the punk, the new wave, the kind of more interesting, fun things like Waylon Jennings outtakes from The Dukes of Hazzard."
Sands also says he has some special used items set aside to go out for RSD as well. The store will be open from 9 a.m.-6 p.m. on April 18, and there will be concert ticket giveaways from FPC Live venues and The Annex, and free North Shore pizza around lunchtime.
Sands' picks: Look Outside Your Window (aka Slipknot), self-titled; Ween, Europe "90".
MadCity Music, 2023 Atwood Ave.: MadCity opens early at 9 a.m., and folks usually start lining up long before then for the first shot at Record Store Day releases. MadCity also offers a very deep selection for the vintage hunters. "We're putting out close to a thousand used records that are new to the floor, including lots of high-end collectibles," says owner Bobby Hussy.
MadCity also offers a raffle sign-up featuring many concert tickets, albums and CDs, and RSD-branded giveaway bags for early customers.They will be open until 6 p.m.
Hussy's picks: Mark Lanegan, Bubblegum (Original Draft); Ween, Europe "90".
Strictly Discs, 1900 Monroe St.: A couple years back, Madison's biggest record store went even bigger on Record Store Day, establishing a block party on Harrison Street next to the store. Expect an experience a bit different from other local stores when sales begin at 7 a.m., because until noon, everything takes place outside.
The block party was a way to counter lines that "over the years became this phenomenon of how long can it get," says GM Evan Woodward. "Snaking the line airport-style through the block, with DJs, coffee trucks and snacks, and some records to dig through" brings more of a community vibe to the day.
Customers in line receive a list of RSD titles and can indicate their selections, with staff pulling available titles, one to a customer. DJs Paul Grain, Pcaroldactyl, Azza and Phil Money will be spinning all morning. Following the block party, the store will open from noon-8 p.m. for browsing, including new used collectibles.
Woodward remembers being at the first Strictly Discs Record Store Day as a customer. "The vibe was really chaotic and festive and fun but at the same time I wasn't really prepared for it. A couple years later I ended up working here and have worked every Record Store Day for the last 16 years.” That’s offered him a vantage point to watch the event evolve, achieving “its intended goal of revitalizing independent record stores as community spaces" and as a relevant space to “find things you care about.”
"It gives us a chance to reaffirm why we like doing this and try to make that a part of the day too. It's not just about the super rare items …it is more of a day that showcases everything a record store can be."
Woodward says the block party does involve more logistics, though: "Renting porta-potties is one thing I never imagined on a list of things I'd do at my job."
Also worth noting: Strictly Discs' storefront at its warehouse in Cambridge, 101 W. Main St., will also be offering a selection of RSD titles, for those looking for a lower-key digging experience, starting at 10 a.m.
Woodward's RSD pick: Sonic Youth, Diamond Seas.
If you don't get enough record action at the stores offering Record Store Day items, there are plenty of other Madison spots where a lot of record digging can be had:
JiggyJamz, 1734 Fordem Ave., open 11 a.m.-8 p.m. for RSD, is well known for its deep selection of records aimed at the DJ market (electronic, techno, house, breaks and much more). But more casual diggers will also find plenty of less specialized records, including a lot of 45s to dig through, and new collectibles added to the bins for RSD. For the holiday, the store features DJs spinning starting around noon, including Moticos, Shenanigans, SevenSugars, Haloscope, Jason Velo, The Hermit, Santine and Paul Gordon, plus a new art exhibition by Jessi Pearce.
Video Game X-Change, 3002 Atwood Ave., open 11 a.m.-6 p.m,., has a large selection of new and used LPs in the back of the store along with a museum's worth of video games and systems, VHS and DVDs, and more media.
Antiques Mall of Madison, 4748 Cottage Grove Road, open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturdays; Monona Antique Mall, 2034 S. Stoughton Road, open 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Saturdays; and Atomic Antiques, 4546 Verona Road, open 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturdays, each have several dedicated LP sellers with deep selections to peruse.
As mentioned, the annual LP Event at St. Vincent de Paul, 1309 Williamson St., kicks off on April 15 and will still be happening on April 18. The store typically adds new records as they come in, and along with LPs, 45s and 78s, turntables, receivers and other music gear, as well as a large selection of vintage band T-shirts, a frenzied focus of many attendees in recent years. Current hours are 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday-Saturday and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday.
Also worth noting: In honor of Record Store Day, the College Radio Foundation sponsors its annual Vinylthon event, with radio stations encouraged to spin all records on April 18-19. UW-Madison's student radio station, WSUM-FM (91.7) is on the participant list, along with community radio stations WORT-FM (89.9) and WVMO-FM (98.7). WVMO, in fact, has pledged to stay true to vinyl for all 48 hours of Saturday and Sunday. Listeners are encouraged to donate to the College Radio Foundation's Next Step Radio Scholarship Program.
