Regardless of the weather, some Saturdays are perfect for hanging out in a record store.
This Saturday, April 13, is Record Store Day, when independent owners, employees and fans celebrate the culture surrounding record stores and the role these businesses play in communities.
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There are about 1,400 independently owned record stores in the United States, and thousands more around the world, according to recordstoreday.com.
Here are four reasons to pay homage to your neighborhood record store:
1. There is probably one near you
Dozens of record stores in Georgia are participating, and 28 have signed the Record Store Day Pledge. This means they "have agreed to act in the spirit of Record Store Day, and sell the commercial Record Store Day releases to their physical customers, on Record Store Day; not to gouge them, or hold product back to sell them online." For the complete list, click here.
Many stores have special events planned for Saturday. Criminal Records in Little Five Points, for example, will have performances on both the indoor stage and the plaza, including an acoustic performance by Timothy Showalter of Strand Of Oaks followed by an artist signing.
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Moods Music on Euclid Avenue is planning giveaways, raffles and artist performances beginning at noon.
2. Pearl Jam is your Record Store Day 2019 ambassador
Mike McCready, guitarist and a founding member of the band, said: “Pearl Jam is honored to be Record Store Day’s Ambassador for 2019. Independent record stores are hugely important to me, and have been ever since I was 12 years-old. Before I even really knew what they were — there was a certain feeling of 'this is a dream come true,' and it's a wonderland and there's so much to learn in here … and it's still that way.
“Support every independent record store that you can. They're really a good part of society. Know if you love music, this is the place to find it. And it helps people who work here and that's important, too. And it kind of takes an effort, you have to look for something that you want; you have to talk to people. I had to talk to people to figure out which Aerosmith record to get first or anything back in the day. It's a place to learn. It's a place to have fun. And it's a place to discover new music.
“Come out on Record Store Day, but also make it Record Store Year.”
3. New music
Groups with exclusive releases range from A-Z (almost) —from A-ha to Yes. There will also be music from Prince, the B-52s, Mumford & Son, Aretha Franklin and hundreds more. For an extensive list of what you can expect, click here.
4. A tiny new turntable
Crosley Radio has participated in past Record Store Day celebrations by manufacturing special, limited edition turntables. Last year, it was a Star Wars-themed suitcase model, and the year before that it was a Disney turntable.
For 2019, Crosley has produced a mini-turntable known as RSD3. This tiny turntable plays 3 inch records, one of which is included in the box. The RSD3 sells for $70.
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