Record Store Day 2016

Today is Record Store Day.

On April 16, record stores across the country will take part in the ninth annual party known as Record Store Day. The celebration of the culture of the independent record store goes on all day and includes music, food, artist appearances and all kinds of fun, no matter which record store you plan to celebrate with.

...Record Store Day’s list of official releases and the stores who celebrate are diverse and fans of both the quietest acoustic and the heaviest rock can find something to love. Events on RSD 2016 run that gamut too, with acoustic performances from Firekid (Seasick Records in Birmingham AL), Wild Feathers (Strictly Discs, Madison WI) and Paul Nelson (Johnny’s Records in Darien CT) sharing the day with appearances from OTEP (signing their RSD 2016 picture disc at Silver Platters in Seattle WA), Al Jorgensen at Fingerprints in Long Beach CA. and Killswitch Engage, who can be found engaging at Newbury Comics in Leominster MA. Comedians get into the RSD game too, and Jim Breuer will be representing with a Q&A session at Looney Tunes in Long Island NY.

A few folks will be making multiple record store stops on 4/16, including the subjects of the Official Film of Record Store Day 2016, Butch Vig and Steve Walker. Their studio is at the heart of the documentary The Smart Studios Story, which will show at the Chicago International Movies & Music Festival on April 13, and the two will be on hand at both Reckless Records in Chicago and their hometown Mad City Music Exchange on Record Store Day. Dylan Gardner, a young musician with a beyond-his-years musical knowledge (and vinyl collection—check out the first installment of Dylan’s Favorite Records on www.recordstoreday.com) has his own LA-area mini-tour that Saturday, making stops at Freakbeat Records, Canterbury Records, High Fidelity, Permanent Records and Resistor Records in support of his RSD 2016 7” single.

This is just a brief look at what’s going on around the United States on April 16 to celebrate the culture of the independent record store. Literally hundreds of bands will take the stage moving thousands of people to head-nod, dance, sing and clap along-- like a party—a party at a record store.

Support your local record store, if you're lucky enough to still have one.

Record Store Day exclusive releases.

Participating stores in Wisconsin.