On April 22nd, Record Store Day (RSD) will be back to “celebrate the unique culture of a record store and the special role they play in their communities.” This annual event is celebrated at thousands of independent record stores nationwide, including stores in St. Petersburg. The record stores in town will do more than sell exclusive releases; they’ll celebrate the day with fun activities and parties.
Not to mention, some of the biggest artists in the world will be releasing exclusive titles to vinyl like Taylor Swift’s “folklore: the long pond studio sessions,” The 1975’s “Live with The BBC Philharmonic Orchestra,” Beach House’s “Become,” and other works by artists like The Grateful Dead, Dolly Parton, Elton John, and Stevie Nicks.
Fans online from all over the world are expressing their excitement about this upcoming records store day, as well. “I sort of thought the vinyl renaissance would have wound down by now. But people seem more eager to fork over their hard-earned dollars for multicolored discs than any time since the 1970s,” writes Bret Saunders, of The Denver Post.
Daddy Kool Records is one of my favorite places in town that will be celebrating this RSD. Located right next to the Fairgrounds, Daddy Kool will be having a huge celebration party. From 1:30 to 7 pm, there will be live performances from Fesssi K., Greymarket, and Liquid Pennies. Morning coffee will also be served, as a food truck and a bar. The store is open from 8 am to 9 pm, and you can bet that the most anticipated releases with get sold fast!
Another local record store celebrating RSD is Banana Records! They will be having similar festivities with performances from local artists like Blonde Gentlemen and Peace Cult. They’ll also be serving food by “Nah Dogs Vegan Hot Dogs” and coffee from “Sun Bear Specialty Coffee Roasters,” along with raffles to win RSD merchandise!
There are a few other Records Stores in the town, like Planet Retro Records and ARTpool Records. But Daddy Kool and Banana are the best places to hit for record collectors in the area. I went to Daddy Kool Records last year for RSD and scored the exclusive Taylor Swift “the lakes” single vinyl.
Mark your calendars because this Record Store Day is going to be one you won’t want to miss!