An early morning, long lines and dedicated music fans can mean so many things, but this Saturday, these elements are coming together to celebrate Record Store Day.
After months of preparation, Record Store Day is being celebrated around the globe by vinyl lovers young and old. Local fans are in for a treat — this year, Baton Rouge has three stores on the scene.
In the past, customers woke up bright and early in an effort to get their hands on the day’s limited releases, special editions or giveaways at record stores Atomic Pop Shop and Lagniappe Records. But this year, Capital City Records is participating in its first ever Record Store Day. While the premise is relatively the same at each shop, each store’s owners are celebrating the day a little differently.
Local veteran shop Atomic Pop Shop is celebrating its fourth Record Store Day, and after successful previous years, co-owner Kerry Beary said they have a system that keeps their event running smoothly.
“People start lining up at ungodly hours,” Beary said. “People will be here at 7 a.m., and we’ll hand out numbers that will hold their place in line for when doors open at 9 a.m. That way, they can go get breakfast or take a nap.”
Aside from the day’s releases, the store is giving away a record player, T-shirts, tote bags, offering a sale on its vintage collection and raffling off two pairs of tickets for Benjamin Booker’s upcoming show at the Varsity Theatre.
Those in attendance will also be treated to Modern Meals’ morning coffee and waffles, a performance by Louisiana-based producer AF THE NAYSAYER and a second screening of Riot House Pictures’ “Records Collecting Dust.”
“It’s our one day where we know that pretty much everyone that leaves is going to be really happy,” Beary said. “It might be their first time coming here, and they might go hit another shop hoping to get something that we didn’t have — kind of bouncing between each store.”
Lagniappe Records has participated in Record Store Day and Black Friday events in the past, but this is its first time hosting the event at their new location near downtown.
Tess Brunet, who owns the record shop with her husband, Patrick Hodgkins, said they still have plans for a big event, but instead of having a live band, they have arranged for KLSU DJs to be this year’s entertainment.
“They’re all spinning Lagniappe Records’ records,” Brunet said. “They spin a lot of our used stuff and some of their own, too.”
Hungry event-goers can prepare to chow down on City Pork specialities and Love At Phirst Bite’s organic popsicles and vegan cupcakes. There also will be a keg sponsored by The Radio Bar.
Lagniappe typically opens at noon, but it’s opening early at 10 a.m., so customers can take full advantage of the plethora of releases, limited edition T-shirts, giveaways, gift cards and a mystery Record Store Day release giveaway.
Brunet said she and Hodgkins planned the kind of event they would want to attend, and they encourage customers to stay as long as they’d like, even once they’ve made their purchases.
“I think what sets us apart is you’re not just a number,” Brunet said. “You don’t just get in and get out. If you want to stay and hang out to enjoy all the fun and cool stuff, you can. It’s a big party.”
Last but not least, Capital City Records owner Dana Labat is participating in the event for the first time, calling himself the new kid on the block.
The store, which opened in November 2014, quickly gained a following, and while preparing for the day has been busy for all three locations, Labat said he hopes the day will be a success.
“I think it’s kind of a cool thing to celebrate independent record stores,” Labat said. “We live in a world of big-box stuff and the Internet, so it’s nice to still have mom-and-pop shops, whether they’re hardware stores or record stores.”
Labat’s opening the doors at 9 a.m. and is raffling off an Audio-Technica turntable to one lucky customer in line when the store opens. He said it’s the least he could do for someone who shows up early. Along with additional raffles, there will be gift certificates, limited edition T-shirts and other miscellaneous giveaways.
As far as the day’s entertainment, Labat said he doesn’t want to make the small store feel more crowded, and he shares a parking lot with several other stores, so he said it just wasn’t the right fit to have a band.
An avid music fan, Labat said it makes him happy when someone digs through his collection and is excited with their find. Because each store is only allotted a certain amount of releases, he said he also hopes he receives his orders and that people are happy with the selection.
Record Store Day is dedicated to the fans of vinyl, and all three store owners agree it’s a day to give back to the customers. Though they have all been diligently working and awaiting arrivals, they said they’re looking forward to celebrating the community of independent record stores, rather than making it about giant retailers.
Whether customers visit one store or all three, they are sure to leave with memories and maybe even a few new vinyls to add to their collection.
You can reach Greta Jines on Twitter @TheGretaJines.
They should really put these records where they belong: in a fire of my anger and rage.
