Record Store Day has come and gone once again. For the past two years, RSD has been different. Instead of a single day with every release, things are split up. This year, the dates were June 12th and July 17th. Like every year, the crowds were big and lines were long. At Vintage Vinyl on The Loop, people started lining up as early as 4 am for a 9 am opening. Unlike previous years, there wasn’t much else going on. No live music, no giveaways, no food vendors. Just a line of music enthusiasts eagerly waiting to get their hands on some exclusive presses.
Well before the store opened, the line had wrapped around the building. There were dozens of people of all ages waiting in anticipation. There were men in their seventies and families with toddlers, groups of teenage girls and middle-aged professionals. Most of them probably had very little in common. It was just a love for vinyl that brought them together. Most people come with a plan- a list of exactly what they want to try and grab from the many releases. A much smaller number go in blind: they haven’t even looked at what’s being released.
When doors open, people are divided into groups. In past years everyone would weave along the aisles of the store, filling in all the space. Now, most of the line remains outside. Things are well organized inside the store, all of the RSD releases are in the same area of the store, and they’re sorted alphabetically and each individually labeled. Finding things is a quick and painless process: That’s what Vintage Vinyl wants. People are in and out of the store in minutes.
By 10 am, the line is gone, and anyone can browse the store as they please. People peruse The Loop carrying limited edition Record Store Day bags full of goodies. Outside restaurants people stop and chat with each other about what they managed to pick up. Some lament about things they wanted but weren’t available, others are happy to say they got everything they hoped for.
Things are different this year, but they’re good. Even with less celebration, we still celebrate.
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