Record Store Day to be celebrated in Athens
By Kristin Nehls, Staff Writer
April 18, 2008 | 7:27 p.m.
Serving as a safe haven for vinyl collectors everywhere, independent record stores are typically quirky, hole-in-the-wall venues, each proving to be unique in their atmospheres and music selections. Creating a distinct culture of their own, record stores are finally being celebrated this Saturday.
On Saturday, April 19, independent record stores throughout the country will be participating in Record Store Day, a day intended to help all independent record stores collaborate on the old-fashioned ideals of music distribution. This day will celebrate the industry’s ability to maintain a legitimate audience, even in the days of music downloading and file sharing.
As the event's Web site states, “On this day, all of these stores will simultaneously link and act as one with the purpose of celebrating the culture and unique place that they occupy both in their local communities and nationally.”
This day will be commemorated on an entirely individual basis, with each separate participating store celebrating in a way as unique as their clientele. Because record stores are notorious for their distinct method of consumerism, which involves getting to know “regular” customer on a first-name basis and acclimating their music library based on the taste of their customers, many events taking place on Record Store Day are directly influenced by the supporters of record stores.
Having their own place in history and modern pop culture, record stores have become a tradition that loyal clientele go out of their way to support. After the introduction of the compact disc combined with the growing popularity of the mp3, records lost much of their mainstream popularity but gained a sense of ageless allure. Vinyl experienced a resurgence of popularity following the release of Nick Hornby’s 1995 novel “High Fidelity,” and its subsequent 2000 movie release. However, presently, records are primarily owned by collectors, and vinyl has become an archaic subculture whose ongoing success deserves merit, the founders of Record Store Day believe.
Athens’s independent record store, Haffa's, is an official participant of Record Store Day. The store will host a performance by local favorites Casual Future at 1 p.m. April 19, with opening act Adam Torres, who is set to perform at noon. Andrew Lampela, one of the managers at Haffa’s, said that they are very appreciative of the support their store has been getting from the Athens community. They think that dedicating an entire day to supporting independent record stores is very cool.
Activities are taking place at record stores throughout the country, and include viewings of the popular film “Juno” and in-store performances by bands such as Beach House and The Donnas. Artists such as Death Cab for Cutie, R.E.M. and The Black Keys have also released limited edition vinyl singles to be sold at participating independent record stores, according to a Pitchfork Media article. Many stores are making Record Store Day an all-day event, highlighting local bands and offering exclusive one-day sales.
While independent record stores may serve the same purpose as large-scale retailers, they differ in the way they integrate with the communities in which they are located, and the way they communicate with their customers. While a bulletin board messily compiled with fliers advertising community events, apartment leases, and shows for local bands would seem unusual in the average Best Buy or Sam Goody, such is the norm at an independent record store.
Haffa’s customer Alex Demaine says that he often goes to Haffa’s without the intention of buying anything at all. “Just looking around, meeting people, seeing what is going on in the music community [and] talking about music with people who genuinely care sets places like this apart,” Demaine said.
The products that are offered at independent record stores also vary greatly from chain-store retailers. Record stores pride themselves in not only the selection of musical outlets they offer, but also in the variety of genres available for purchase. Haffa’s offers anything from Simon & Garfunkel to Brazilian Girls, on both 7- and 12-inch LPs, as well as the typical CD. As is customary at independent record shops, Haffa’s offers both new and used records, and customers are able to trade in old vinyl for something new.
Garnering nation-wide attention, even highly acclaimed musical artists are recognizing and supporting Record Store Day. “I just really love anything that is not faceless and where people know each other and work together to build… a community… And that it is important to have something that is being done just out of true love for new music that is being welcomed into the world,” indie artist Regina Spektor said on Record Store Day’s Web site. Artists such as Andrew W.K., Damien Rice and Norah Jones also publicly support the event.
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Click here to find out how Bjork is celebrating Record Store Day in her own unique way.