As if there weren’t enough going on this weekend already, the fifth annual national celebration of indie record shops, Record Store Day (which now boasts Jack White as its esteemed Ambassador) crashes into a local indie music retailer near you with RSD-exclusive and limited edition vinyl releases to stimulate pretty much any musical appetite. Even though none of the shops know exactly what they’ll receive from the loads of orders that were placed because of the limited quantities available for many of the releases, the not-knowing builds a sense of thrilled anticipation and accounts for the crowds that tend to build up in lines outside the shops before they open. It’s a first come, first serve affair, and there aren’t any guarantees about what you’ll find, which means hitting multiple stores is a must for vinyl aficionados. The four Bay area shops listed below offer special promotions along with the RSD releases, and deliver hours of merriment and entertainment in the form, food, drink, giveaways, and live music by local, regional and the odd national acts throughout the day. Details below. Visit recordstoreday.com to read about the array of limited releases that could potentially be on the shelves.
BANANAS Doors open at 9 a.m., live music starts at 11 a.m.; scheduled performers include Hunter and Avery, Girls on the Beach (from Orlando), Luxury Mane, Samurai Shotgun and The Music Box. Hip hop producer/ Stones Throw Records founder Peanut Butter Wolf gives a special in-store performance at 3 p.m., vendors from The Spot Grille and Smokey's Barbecue serve tasty eats, and among the prizes for giveaways is an Audio-Technica turntable. 2887 22nd Ave. N., St. Petersburg, 727-327-4616.
DADDY KOOL Since the 600 Block is having a Sweetwater-sponsored 420 party in collaboration with No Clubs, and the venues that usually present DK’s RSD performances are involved in said party, the usual DK festivities have been scaled back scaled a bit, though the store opens bright and early, at 7 a.m., and the block will be lined with artists, crafters and misc vendors as part of the St. Pete Indie Market (noon-6 p.m.). Infinite Skillz & B.A.S.E. Inc spin jams outside Daddy Kool from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., while inside, The Sheds and The Attack perform live acoustic sets (at 4 and 5:30 p.m. respectively), a few other guest musicians make special drop-ins (like Alexander Charros and Mountain Holler make), and the store holds 10 percent off sales on new music/20 percent off on used. 666 Central Ave., St. Petersburg, 727-822-5665.
MICROGROOVE The Seminole Heights shop offers opens its doors at 8 a.m., and offers its own array of RSD releases, beer by PBR (while supplies last) and live music beginning at 1 p.m. by DieAlps!, Empire Cinema, Permanent Makeup, Morphic Lapse and Red Room Cinema. Then, around 6 p.m., the tunes move outdoors to the new and improved patio at Cappy’s, with solo sets by Alexander Charos (Alexander & The Grapes), Rec Center, and others. 4906 N. Florida Ave., Tampa, 813-667-7089.
MOJO BOOKS & MUSIC An unofficial pre-show party featuring Merchandise and Gun Outfit (more info here) kicks off the RSD excitement on Friday, with the real shebang to being at 8 a.m. on Saturday. Shoppers enjoy free goodies bags with every purchase (while supplies last), drawings and giveaways featuring premium RSD merch and releases from previous years, a vegan bakesale to benefit Florida Voices for Animals, and a wide-ranging lineup of live in-stores that extend well past midnight. The schedule as follows: Ophelia (11 a.m.), Kersey Williams (11:45 a.m.), Red Rock/its (12:30 p.m.), Laurel Canyon (1:30 p.m.), Like Nomads (2:30 p.m.), Hovering Humanoids (3:30 p.m.), The Veldt, from NYC (4:30 p.m.), Peanut Butter Wolf, from California (5:45 p.m.), Zulu Wave (6:30 p.m.), Empire Cinema (7:30 p.m.), Alien House (8:15 p.m.), Wolf Face (9 p.m.), Rescuer (9:45 p.m.), Nazi Dust, featuring members of Moth Mind, Merchandise and Von Dagger (10:20 p.m.), Church Whip, featuring members of Merchandise and Divisions (11:15 p.m.), and Tim Vernon (Midnight). 2558 E. Fowler Ave., Tampa.
