Record Store Day draws enthusiasts

Would you wait in line for hours for the chance of buying a limited pressing of Tame Impala’s debut album? Would you drive 100 miles to the nearest record store to gamble grabbing the last copy of a 12” Paul McCartney live cut of “Maybe I’m Amazed?"

Music enthusiasts did all of this and more on what is becoming one of biggest days of the year for music vendors and lovers: Record Store Day.

When Landlocked Music opened its doors at 11:30 a.m. Saturday, there were already people lined up around the block. Someone had even tried to post up the night before, determined to brave the cold and rowdy Little 500 bar-crawlers, before Landlocked co-owner Jason Nickey convinced him otherwise.

Since its infancy in 2007, Record Store Day has drawn more people to Landlocked each year.

“Each year has been bigger than the last,” Nickey said. “Not just in terms of sales, but in terms of the number of people who show up. People come from hours away. To think people drive so far just to come to my record store is flattering.”

Landlocked Music, one of several record stores in Bloomington, experienced a full house for the better part of the day. Patrons weaved in an out of rows of CDs and waited in long lines in order to pay for their RSD hauls.

Outside, Rhino’s Youth Center volunteers were silk screening special RSD
T-shirts.

DJs and bands kept the atmosphere light in the cramped space while of-age music fans sampled Upland Brewery’s Record Store Day contribution, a Russian Rye aptly named “Vinyl Tap,” from which contributions went to Lotus Blossoms to teach music to school-aged children.

Senior Taylor Swaim waited in line for her turn to pick up records from Sharon Van Etten and Ryan Adams, both of which were specially released for Record Store Day.
“I missed out on the Destroyer special release, but it’s OK. It’s fun to see this kind of support as a lover of music,” Swaim said. “It seems like Landlocked is doing incredibly well today, and there are a lot of people here from the community that I recognize.”
Addison Pollock, an IU graduate student, came for a Roky Erickson and the Aliens LP and was fortunate to grab a copy.

“It’s nice that labels do this for independent shops,” Pollock said. “It’s one part of the market looking out for another part, which is interesting because you don’t see that often.”

Nickey said sales on Record Store Day are akin to several weeks of sales during other parts of the year.

“It’s totally off the charts,” Nickey said. “It’s like the whole Christmas season in one day.”

Nickey began planning for this year’s Record Store Day in January. Once special releases were announced, he began arranging what he would purchase and in what volume.

“It takes some guess work based on what people are going to want and what we sell all year,” Nickey said.

He’s already begun making plans for next year and considering what did and did not go well on Saturday.

“I just wanted it to go off without much trouble,” Nickey said. “I’m thankful people put up with the crowds. We try to create an environment where even if you don’t get everything you want, you still have fun.”

Nickey anticipates the enthusiasm for the holiday to continue onto next year, and said that he’s thankful for the community’s interest.

“I’m very appreciative of the support year-round, Nickey said. “It’s great that labels can do something a bit weirder for people who are really into collecting records or are mega fans of a band. People really seize this opportunity.”