Record Store Day 2015 Recap

The third weekend in April has come and gone and Record Store Day 2015 was an overwhelming success here in Knoxville, TN for the local independent record stores that participated in the annual event. 

Despite the flippers, long lines, and stress associated with the annual vinyl collector's holiday, Record Store Day continues to grow larger each year and remains a celebration of independent records stores and a gathering for music lovers around the world.

I started my day off at Wild Honey Records in Knoxville, TN and couldn't help but noticing that the line outside the store had almost doubled in size from last year's line with approximately 75 folks patiently waiting for the doors to open on Saturday morning. While I missed out on one of the two Phish MSG Box Sets that Wild Honey Records had in-stock, I was able to find most everything else on my 'want list' including the White Stripes' Get Behind Me Satan,  Run The Jewels, Gov't Mule's Stoned Side of the Mule Vol 2, Jerry Garcia's Compliments, and one for the kiddo's-The Lego Movie Soundtrack on gorgeous 2-LP picture discs.

My next stop was McKay's, which opened for business an hour later and with a much smaller crowd on-hand, waiting to get in.  In a scene that would have fit in on the game show, Supermarket Sweep, I picked up a few more RSD exclusives and some used vinyl as quickly as possible, as I had to be back home by 9:20 am to take my youngest son, Elijah, to his tee ball game.  The day was not over for me as both Elijah and my seven year-old, Elliott, expressed interest in venturing out with me after their games...

After my two sons' respective soccer and tee ball games were finished, we made Record Store Day our new father and sons' tradition an had an absolute blast.  

We went to Lost and Found Records first and enjoyed the live music and free food/drinks while we shopped for more music.  I have to say that the folks at Lost and Found know how to throw a shindig as the atmosphere was fun and they kept the party rocking all -day long...

Our last stop was the Disc Exchange, another long-standing independent record store in Knoxville that also had an impressive lineup of live music and a massive sidewalk sale on used vinyl that lasted the remainder of the afternoon/evening.  We were able to catch our friend, Erick Baker's set at Disc Exchange and also managed to crate dig for some decent bargains as well.

In summary, it was great to see my favorite local record stores full of customers and other music enthusiasts making their rounds on Saturday.  Sure, there are plenty of folks snatching up RSD exclusives to re-sell online, but even this minor annoyance cannot defeat the spirit of what has become one of my favorite holidays each year. 

-Will Fisher, The Showbiz Kids