Record Store Day: A holiday for the growing population of vinyl lovers

Local record store, Revival Records had its biggest turn out during annual Record Store Day event

Local+record+store%2C+Revival+Records%2C+located+at+128+S.+Barstow+St.+participated+in+Record+Store+day+on+April+18.

Photo by Lauren Kritter

Local record store, Revival Records, located at 128 S. Barstow St. participated in Record Store day on April 18.

Story by Lauren Kritter, Staff Writer

Eau Claire’s local record store, Revival Records, took part in the annual Record Store day for its sixth consecutive year on April 18. The day is held on the third Saturday of April every year as a way to celebrate the culture of independently owned record stores.

The day brought crowds of fans and music lovers to the store. Over 120 people were lined up outside when Revival opened their doors. Many gathered at the early hour of 2:30 a.m. the night before the event in hopes to get the good deals that come along with the annual day.

Billy Siegel, owner of Revival Records, wasn’t shocked to see the turnout that came this year. He knows more and more people are getting involved with the old fad that’s coming back around of listening to their music on record players.

“This was our biggest turnout in six years because of the growing popularity of vinyl,” Siegel said.

New material, including limited edition work, is sold for special pricing on Record Store Day, which is what seems to draw the crowds in each year, Siegel said. A number of records are pressed specifically for Record Store Day and are only sold at the shops participating in the event.

“Some of the work won’t ever be seen again in stores or not again until next year,” Siegel said.

Record Store Day was started when a group of independent record store owners came together to specifically design this day. Their purpose behind it was to help support local record stores because the event only applies to physical, independent stores.

It was also a way for these artists to get their names out and known to the public by providing their music for these stores to sell.

Throughout the day there were free giveaways, including a seven inch vinyl with a single by artist Charlie Parr.

The day never fails to bring fans, artists and thousands of independent record stores across the world together all in the name of music.

Leftover records that were sent in for the annual day can be bought in stores or online at their original, non-discounted price for those who may have missed out on the deals the day of the event but still need that limited edition record in their life.