By Rachel Trent, CNN | Of all the aspects of normality Americans missed throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, physical touch has been a common theme. The touch associated with browsing at a record store is no exception — clicking a download button can’t match the feeling of walking into a shop with other music fans, flipping through album covers and holding a new disc.
Vinyl may not be the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about the impacts of the pandemic, but for some business owners, it’s everything. This Saturday, the first of two Record Store Days being held this year, offers a sign of hope for independent businesses trying to recover from some of the darkest days they have seen.
What is Record Store Day?
Record Store Day is a global event to “celebrate and spread the word about the unique culture surrounding nearly 1,400 independently owned record stores in the US and thousands of similar stores internationally,” according to organizers.
The first Record Store Day was on April 19, 2008, and has since been a single day devoted to exclusive vinyl releases only available at participating record stores. It often features performances, cookouts and artist meet-and-greets.
Because of the pandemic, celebrations looked a lot different last year. Record Store Day was split up into three “drops” in August, September and October instead of the typical one-day celebration that happens earlier in the year.
This year, celebrations will have fewer restrictions, but will still look a little different from those that were held pre-pandemic. Record Store Day is split up into two drops this time — June 12 and July 17.
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Go here to read the full story:
https://www.cnn.com/2021/06/12/us/record-store-day-2021-trnd/index.html
And don’t forget to shop Twist & Shout Records and Angelo’s Records anytime – not just on Record Store Day! Next on Saturday, July 19th!