If the grape vine hasn’t yet reached your garden, Saturday, April 16th, marks Record Store Day 2011. As the weekend approaches, consider the bands or albums that have been scratching at the back of your mind for months like a stray dog longing for a warm space in your apartment. There’s the local band that grabbed your attention on KEXP last week, the classic love you’ve yet to find in the used section, or even the old favorite that’s worn so badly it’d skip less on Lake Union than in your stereo (my copy of Ryan Adam’s “Heartbreaker” looks like I played street hockey with it).
Record Store Day is an opportune time to not only add to your record collection at a discounted rate, but a chance to show your loyalty to your favorite local record store while talking shop with others waiting in line to purchase limited edition releases only available at independent shops this weeked; anything from The Rolling Stones, to The Decemberists, to The Naked and Famous (download a complete list of RSD releases here, courtesy of recordstoreday.com).
Even if you’re not looking to shop there’s an abundance of free/all-ages in-store performances as well as artist signings going on in several neighborhoods of Seattle:
You can catch Duff McKagan (2:00 pm) and The Head and the Heart (7:00 pm) at the Queen Anne Easy Street Records. R.E.M.’s Peter Buck (12:00 pm) and Grieves & Budo (3:00 pm) will be signing schwag and meeting fans at the Queen Anne location as well.
The Head and the Heart are also playing at 3:00 pm at the Sonic Boom Records in Ballard. Sonic Boom in Capitol Hill is also hosting performances by the Moondoggies (1:00 pm) and Telekenisis (5:00 pm).
At the Silver Platters in Queen Anne, you can see local acts Massy Ferguson (2:00 pm), Zoe Muth (3:00), and The Tea Cozies (4:00 pm). Zoe Muth will also be selling her upcoming album “Starlight Hotel” before the street release date.
Watch for more TVD Seattle updates on how Seattle record stores will be spending the big day.
