Saturday’s celebration in West Michigan boasts live performances, vinyl exclusives and a special Grand Rapids appearance by Third Man Records’ Rolling Record Store. Get the lowdown at Local Spins.
Vinyl, Vinyl and More Vinyl: Record Store Day on Saturday will attract thousands of LP devotees. (Photo/Derek Ketchum)
SCROLL DOWN FOR THE RECORD STORE DAY SCHEDULE AT AREA SHOPS
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As if the craziness surrounding Record Store Day wasn’t enough, vinyl aficionado Jack White will be in Grand Rapids performing during the celebration of independent record stores on Saturday, with a “Rolling Record Store” in tow.
In addition to White’s 20 Monroe Live sold-out tour stop on Saturday night, the Detroit native’s Third Man Records will set up shop outside the Grand Rapids Art Museum during the day Saturday, selling merch and exclusive vinyl. The mobile “Rolling Record Store” will be open again near 20 Monroe during and after White’s show.
West Side Wackiness: Dodds will once again host a Record Store Day parade on Saturday. (Photo/Anna Sink)
But Third Man’s presence in Grand Rapids Saturday is just the tip of the needle when it comes to Record Store Day.
The “A-Side” of Saturday’s events includes exclusive vinyl releases, discounts, door prizes, refreshments and live bands and DJs at independent record shops in West Michigan and across the nation.
For several independent record shops in the area, the event draws in droves of vinyl lovers throughout the day, where sales often equate to several weeks’ worth of business.
As John Pullen of Corner Record Shop in Grandville puts it, a record store on Record Store Day is “kind of a madhouse.”
At Dodds Record Shop on Grand Rapids’ West Side, that madness is taken to the streets each Record Store Day with a kooky parade, marshaled by shop owner and PotatoeBabies frontman, Reverend Charles Preston Smith.
After last year’s parade, Dodds’ live music on the sidewalk outside the shop was halted mid-stream by Grand Rapids law enforcement, but Smith and company are scheduled to return this year with another brief “parade” in all its exuberant glory.
‘LIKE-MINDED PEOPLE’ CELEBRATING THE RESURGENCE OF VINYL
Another busy shop on Record Store Day is Green Light Music in Kalamazoo. Store manager Chris Haner, who likens the day to Christmas, said he sees about 10 times as much foot traffic for Record Store Day.
“I look forward to having so many like-minded people together to celebrate vinyl,” Haner said.
Vintage Experience: The record bins at Vertigo Music.
It’s no secret that the advent of music streaming has led to a slump in CD sales. Yet, music retailers have managed to survive due to a massive resurgence of vinyl sales, spurred in large part by the same generation of young people which mostly streams music.
Pullen attributes fans’ renewed interest in vinyl records to both the visual appeal – with the ability to thumb through larger-scale album art and liner notes – and the unbeatable “dynamics” of their sound.
“Over the years, we’ve found out that people still want to buy records,” said Pullen.
With Third Man Records, White is quite the champion of vinyl in his own right, having launched it as a label in 2001 and as a record store and venue in Nashville in 2009. In 2015, White launched another Third Man Records in Detroit’s Cass Corridor, which is now home to the label’s record-pressing plant.
The label’s most recent release is White’s electronics-infused, chart-topping new album “Boarding House Reach.”
More information on Record Store Day, including exclusive releases and participating stores, is available at recordstoreday.com.
Check out the revealing RSVP Music Chat podcast with Vertigo Music owner Herm Baker: Vinyl revolution or passing fad? RVSP Music Chat podcast with Vertigo Music’s Herm Baker
THE RECORD STORE DAY 2018 LINEUP
Dodds Record Shop, 808 Bridge St. NW, Grand Rapids, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
Noon – Persistent Flashback Disorder
1 p.m. – Calabogie Road Bluegrass
3 p.m. – Reverend Charles Preston Smith’s RSD Parade on Bridge Street
3:15 p.m. – Beaver Xing
4 p.m. – DJ JW (Spinning the music of Jack White)
Corner Record Shop, 3562 Chicago Dr. SW, Grandville, 11 a.m.-8 p.m.
Noon – Brian Dieleman
1 p.m. – Stellar
2 p.m. – Eugene Jackets
3 p.m. – Feeding Grizzlies
4 p.m. – Mean Mother
5 p.m. – DangerVille
6 p.m. – Tail from the Crypt
Vertigo Music, 129 S. Division Ave., Grand Rapids, 10 a.m.-8 p.m.
DJ sets throughout the day by Joshua Tree, John Kempston, Shannon Bloom, Andrea Wallace, Randy Visser, SuperDre, Nesto, Joe Moon, Mike Saunders, Josh Breuer, Oshay Mullins, Ian Block, Anna Schmidt, Mike McFarlane, Dana West-Bystry, DJ Psycho, Matt Dandois and Brandon Hill.
Satellite Records, 808 S. Westnedge Ave., Kalamazoo, 9 a.m.-9 p.m.
DJ sets throughout the day by DJ Status, Mark Horner, DJ Caribbean Health, E. Jordan, Dan Steely and DJ Erik Nervous.
Live music at 6 p.m. by Greg Ashley.
Green Light Music, 4717 W KL Ave, Ste. B, Kalamazoo, 9 a.m.-7 p.m.
DJ sets throughout the day by Richard Bowser and Napoleon Solo.
Schuler Books, 2660 28th St. SE, Grand Rapids, 9 a.m.-10 p.m.
Corner Record Shop, 1114 Washington Ave., Grand Haven, 11 a.m.-8 p.m.
Third Coast Vinyl, 1115 Third St. Suite C, Muskegon, 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
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