Record Store Day 2009 at Aquarius Records in San Francisco
The 3rd annual Record Store Day is taking place tomorrow (Saturday, April 17, 2010) in independent record stores all over the world. In honor of the event, stores will be hosting live performances, meet and greets with artists, and will be selling and giving away exclusive releases on both CD and vinyl.
It’s a wonderful celebration of record stores and of physical music in a day and age when both are being threatened by online alternatives.
Since radio and record stores are part of the same mission to expose new music to the masses, here’s a short guide to some of the radio stations planning special programming or events for Record Store Day 2010:
WRXP (New York City):
WRXP DJ Rich Russo has put together a limited edition LP full of performances by local bands (including Dramarama) recorded on his show or at live events. It’s only available on Record Store Day and is limited to 500 copies. Proceeds will go directly to indie record stores.
Additionally, Rich and fellow WRXP DJ Brian Phillips will be traveling to a number of the participating record stores to host live performances by some of the bands featured on the LP. WRXP DJ Paul Cavalconte (of the Sunday morning Vinyl Experience show) will also be on hand at Passout Records in Brooklyn on Saturday afternoon. Paul geared up for Record Store Day by playing some of the exclusive releases (he pulled some strings) on his show last Sunday. He’ll play more Record Store Day material on this Sunday’s show.
NME Radio (UK):
NME Radio aired a special focused on Record Store Day earlier this week.
The Current (Minneapolis, MN):
Minneapolis public radio station The Current is running a contest, airing Record Store Day-themed shows this Saturday, and posted a listing of events happening at record stores in Minneapolis on their website.
East Village Radio (New York City):
Online-only community radio station East Village Radio (EVR) is helping to promote Record Store Day in the New York City-area (and London!) and has a nice run-down of events listed on their website. Record store Fat Beats (which also hosts a show on EVR) will be featuring in-store performances all day.
WXRT (Chicago):
Today WXRT DJ Terri Hemmert shared some thoughts about the importance of record stores and how a record store employee in Chicago actually helped get the first Elvis Costello record played on WXRT back in 1977. The WXRT website also has a nice post from Terri about Record Store Day 2010.
WGN (Chicago):
WGN aired a lengthy interview with Steve Kay of Evanston, Illinois record store Vintage Vinyl (featured in High Fidelity). In their discussion they talk about the resurgence of vinyl and Record Store Day in which he says it “introduces people to the world of records.” In the interview he reveals that Vintage Vinyl will be the only store in the world selling a limited edition Smashing Pumpkins single (only 250 copies available) on red vinyl starting at 11am.
KUVO and Radio 1190 (Denver and Boulder, Colorado):
DJs from public radio jazz station KUVO and college radio station Radio 1190 will be spinning music at Record Store Day events in Denver, Colorado at Twist and Shout Records.
If there’s something going on at your local radio station for Record Store Day, let me know in the comments.
