April 22, 2023
RED BANK, N.J. – Record Store Day; vinyl collectors and music aficionados’ favorite day of the year. A day in which the near 1,400 independent record stores across the country and countless shops worldwide, come together to celebrate the uniqueness and special role that these shops play in not only the music scene but also in local communities.
Over the past few years, I’ve begun to amass a small collection of records, and in turn fully immersed myself in the world of vinyl. So, this year I wanted to make it a point to stop in at one of my favorite record shops for RSD 2023.
I knew I was going to be waiting in line for a while before I even left the house. Jack’s Music Shoppe in Red Bank usually opens at 11 AM from Wednesday-Sunday, but for RSD 2023, they opened at 10 AM, and were going to be letting customers in 10 people at a time.
I got a late start to the morning and did not get to the shop until 9:15 AM and was greeted by a line of well over two-hundred people. I parked my car, fed the meter, put my ear buds in, hopped in line and waited.
After listening to “Liars” by Dead Tooth for the 10th time, I decided to pause my music and ease drop on the conversations in-line around me.
The two guys in front of me were from north Jersey and had made the trip down after the closing of the historic Vintage Vinyl in Fords, NJ. The mother-daughter-duo behind me were waiting for Taylor Swift’s coveted, folklore: the long pond studio sessions LP. The girls behind them, ironically holding Taylor Swift’s limited-edition vinyl that they had bought on the way over at Clarizio Music Center in Point Pleasant which had opened at 8 AM that morning.
Taylor Swift added to the waits at some stores this year, as she released 75,000 copies of the previously unreleased, folklore: the long pond studio sessions, as a 2023 Record Store Day exclusive.
Jack’s Music Shoppe had posted on their Instagram leading up to the big day, claiming that they received over fifty copies of Swift’s new vinyl. However, within twenty minutes of opening, they were sold out.
When announced, at least two dozen people got out of line, including the mother-daughter duo that were standing behind me. Within seconds, the girl who purchased the last Swift vinyl walked by and told the two gentlemen in front of me that she got there at 8 AM, two hours before opening. I thought that was bad until I heard them say that the guys at the front of the line got there at 4 AM.
“What the f—k.”
The growing list of artists that they had sold out of continued to grow, and by the time I reached the entrance of the shop, they announced that they had sold out of the releases for Taylor Swift, Billy Joel, Bjork, Elton John, Stevie Nicks, and The 1975.
It was a free-for-all.
Going into the day, as I mentioned, I knew I was going to wait in line, but if I got the opportunity, I was looking to get several vinyl’s, including…
· The Black Keys - Live At Beachland Tavern March 31, 2002
· Bastille – MTV Unplugged – Live in London
· Post Malone - Waiting For Never/Hateful
· Taylor Swift - folklore: the long pond studio sessions
· The 1975 - Live With The BBC Philharmonic Orchestra
I didn’t get close to everything that I wanted, however I did pick up…
· The Black Keys - Live At Beachland Tavern March 31, 2002 (RSD Exclusive Release)
· The Rolling Stones – Beggars Banquet (RSD Exclusive Release)
· Kanye West – My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
I was stoked, because I was able to snag one of the 5,000 copies of The Black Keys, Live At Beachland Tavern March 31, 2002. The significance of this album to me is paramount. The Black Keys happen to be one of my favorite bands, and this specific live album was recorded on March 31, 2002, at the Beachland Tavern in Cleveland, Ohio. The Black Keys did not release their debut studio album The Big Come Up, until May 14, 2002.
At the turn of the record, on the start of the fifth track, lead singer and guitarist Dan Auerbach, can be heard saying to the crowd at the Beachland Tavern, “We’ve got a CD coming out…Should check it all y’all. This song's going to be on there, it’s called Yearnin’.”
For those unfamiliar with The Black Keys, the band is a tandem project, comprised of Auerbach and drummer Patrick Carney, who have known each other since they were in grammar school. Two guys from Akron, Ohio, who went from playing in Carney’s basement, to selling out Madison Square Garden in fifteen minutes.
Being able to hear a live recording of The Black Keys playing a show, before the release of their debut album has to be the coolest experience that I’ve gotten from vinyl.
Standing in line for well over two hours and still not getting everything, I wanted was well worth it. It sounds cliché, but at the end of the day, it wasn’t about the records. The whole point of the day is to celebrate the independent record stores that bring us the music that we so desperately love. I’d wait in line all day if it meant supporting the shops that feed my vinyl addiction and allow me to endlessly flip through their bins of LPs.
With that being said, I’m already anticipating Record Store Day 2024, and highly encourage all music lovers to go support your local independent music shops.