feature
10
Record fiends rejoice! Record Store Day returns to the Triad (and beyond)
R
ecord nerds rejoice as Record Store Day (RSD) officially returns to independent record stores across the country on June 12, with a second drop Katei Cranford on July 17, 2021. Since its first event in April 2008, RSD Contributor has swept the globe, celebrating independent stores, collectors, and customers united by a love of vinyl and the thrill of the rare-release hunt. Triad stores and artists are gearing up for a banner holiday, stacking inventory and dropping hints about the titles they’ve acquired from the coveted list of releases distributed exclusively through RSD channels—the variety reflective of the diverse facets of collector culture and the unique shops that exist to serve. Each shop is celebrating its own way, with a central focus around wax and equity amongst collectors through a protocol and RSD pledge: no-holds, no-gauging, one copy per customer, independent stores only. For Jonathan Hodges at Underdog Records, it “keeps everyone in the same boat,” he said of the pledge signed by all participating stores. Located at 835 Burke St., in Winston-Salem, Hodges has participated in every RSD thus far. “We’ll celebrate this RSD the same as we have in the past (2020 being an obvious exception),” Hodges said. “Because we’re such a tiny staff, it’s difficult to pull off day-long events parallel to all the exclusive products we carry, so we rarely have in-store performances on RSD. But, we’ll have a storewide sale on all non-RSD products, as we always do, and we’ll open early that morning at 8 a.m.” It’s a welcome return to normalcy. “Even before COVID, we’ve always let folks in incrementally, once we open rather than just letting everyone stream in at once,” Hodges explained. “It helps keep the store calm and prevents anyone from being bullied out of the RSD bins.” While bullies can be a concern, “as a store, RSD is an absolute blast every year,” Hodges noted. “The vibe is always incredibly positive, and there’s always a camaraderie present amongst those who’ve been waiting in line all morning (and sometimes YES! WEEKLY
JUNE 9-15, 2021
Underdog storefront all night) that’s palpable once they get into the store.” “We usually have a few campers, but, honestly, everything is a big unknown this year,” he added, recalling years he’s opened the store amongst a string of tents along Burke Street, harkening old-school days of box office campers looking to score limited concert tickets. “This is our first traditional Record Store Day in two years — we had to do things completely different last year — and a lot has changed in two years. So I’m honestly not sure what to expect.” Hodges does expect a large inventory. “We ordered the entire list,” he said. “And based on what I’ve checked in already (with still some more product to arrive), we’ve received virtually the entire June list with only a very few exceptions. It’s, by far, the most we’ve ever had in stock for RSD — and this is just one of two drops.” Priming itself as a destination for deep-diggers, Underdog has been releasing inventory sneak peeks daily over social media. While personal excitement mounts, Hodges draws a line between his love of records and his love for the customers. “I’m really excited for the VAST’ Music for People’ release,” he said, noting it’s his “keeper” from the June drop. “I allow myself one-keeper right out of the box each RSD,” he explained, the rest he’ll leave to chance. Assuming they “survive the morning rush,” Hodges is eyeing RSD releases from Mulatu Astatke, Ihsahn, Al Green, Celia Cruz y Willie Bobo, the Zombies, Opeth, Jazz Dispensary, and live albums from Def Leppard and the Police. At Hippo Records, Patrick Lemons and his crew are looking forward to their first RSD in two locations. While the Greensboro store has been open since 2013,
Lemons acquired Earshot Music in March, following the passing of Phred Rainey [to whom this record nerd unofficially dedicates RSD 2021.] “Having met Patrick in the early 2000s, Phred felt confident his store would be in good hands with him,” explained Hippo employee Gigi Galdo, who’s been busy building the Winston stock. “We don’t always know exactly what we will get,” she explained, “but June RSD Drops include Deftones, Thelonius Monk, Black Sabbath, Notorious BIG, The Doors, Ariana Grande, Sublime, The Cure.” Filling big shoes, the Winston Hippo is in a long-time record store location, which began as a Plan 9 and Record Exchange before becoming Earshot Music. And Galdo is excited to honor its history and kick off its inaugural RSD. Both locations will open at 8 a.m., with “hundreds of exclusive records waiting - and thousands more in the store.” “RSD is all about celebrating independent record stores,” she said. “While collector-culture absolutely has a place online, collectors also want to see what they’re getting, hold it, inspect it. “ From behind the counter, Galdo considers RSD “a bit like a return to the ’90s, before digital music. People line up and even camp out to find records they’ve been waiting for. It’s a really cool experience all around,” she said. “RSD drops are as eclectic as the people who shop at record stores. The records make it fun, but the people create the best atmosphere. They come with friends and family or strike up a conversation in the shop. All ages. All backgrounds. People connect to music,
and they connect to others through it.” In Greensboro, those outlets of connection are clustered along Spring Garden Street, with Hippo at 2823-D, Buffalo Boogie Records at 1827-B, and Soul Relief around the corner at 934-A S. Chapman St. “There’s a bit of magic in the air,” said Mike Moore, owner of Buffalo Boogie Records, who relishes “being a part of a worldwide event, and the joy it brings to so many people, in this universal explosion of fresh vinyl. It’s a celebration in and of itself.” An avid RSD customer since its inception, and shop-participant since opening in 2019, Moore is looking forward to his largest RSD order yet. “I’m pushing 40 titles for the June Drop spanning a wide array of genres,” he said, boasting an inventory that’s been growing since he began collecting in his early teens. “I’m in my late 60’s now, so let’s just say there’s quite a few,” he noted. For customers, Moore makes the best attempts to fulfill requests after the list is published. “It’s always a roll of the dice as to what you’re shipped,” he explained, “but I’ve been very fortunate since opening the shop receiving at least 90 percent of the albums I’ve requested since participating.” Buffalo Boogie will open at 8 a.m., with customers allowed in 10 at a time. “From a shop owner’s perspective, RSD is always pretty wild,” Moore mused of the holiday. “Arriving before the sun comes up and seeing people already in line reassures the hard work leading up,” he said. “When the clock strikes eight—the doors open with a bit of hoopin’ and hollerin’—and the shop crackles with excitement. There’s this wonderful vibe and seeing everyone’s faces light up as they go through the bins.” Meanwhile, Harley Lyles at Soul Relief continues vibing his own way. Good-natured and easy-going as they come, Lyles will open at 10 a.m., with “tons” of new stuff and RSD titles. “I don’t really go crazy about RSD,” Lyles said, and while he officially opened Soul Relief on RSD in 2018, this will only be his second time participating as a shop. “It’s a great way to get people out who aren’t normally going to record stores of-
WWW.YESWEEKLY.COMW