420 isn’t just for stoners. This year, Record Store Day — the worldwide celebration for independent record shops that typically happens every third Saturday of April — falls on the storied day.
Across Los Angeles County, audiophiles and vinyl collectors will converge at participating stores to search for one-of-a-kind wax and CD releases by artists new and old, along with other one-of-a-kind items. Even in the age of Spotify, vinyl records have stayed in demand — more than 43 million people bought vinyl records last year, according to the Recording Industry Assn. of America (RIAA).
“It’s really like an Easter egg hunt,” says longtime collector and DJ Johnny Young, who goes by the moniker Black Museumist, of Record Store Day. “There’s a lot of energy.”
This year’s event brings in roughly 400 anticipated titles including a live recording of Talking Heads from a 1977 performance (featuring seven previously unheard songs), a 12-inch vinyl release of Daft Punk’s “Something About Us (Love Theme From Interstella 5555)”, an unreleased live solo recording of “The Godmother of Rock n’ Roll” by Sister Rosetta Tharpe (from 1966) and a 10-year anniversary edition of Freddie Gibbs & Madlib’s “Piñata.”
Also, this year’s Record Store Day ambassador, Paramore, will release a remix version of its 2023 album, “This Is Why” and Cheech and Chong will reissue the soundtrack for their 1978 film, “Up in Smoke,” on smoky green vinyl just in time for 4/20.
You can see the full list here. Also, note that there are three types of special releases: RSD Exclusive (when the record is pressed specifically for the holiday and isn’t expected to otherwise be available), RSD First (a special variant is being made for Record Store Day and a standard black version will be released later) and RSD Limited run/regional focus (quantities are typically fewer than 1,000 units and may be easier to find in a specific city or region), according to SCNow.
For people like Young and Mathieu Schreyer, a music supervisor and former KCRW DJ, every day is Record Store Day. But Schreyer, who’s been DJing for two decades, says he understands the value in having an intentional day to patronize local vinyl shops.
“We can’t just diss Spotify and then not participate and support when it’s needed,” he says. “I think it’s important to support the record stores and the culture.”
But even if you’re not interested in copping a special release, it’s still worth checking out what your favorite record store has to offer on April 20. You’ll find events like in-store DJ sets, pop-up shopping experiences and in-store performances.
To help you plan, we’ve rounded up a list of local Record Store Day events you should check out. Pro tip: If you’re looking for RSD collectibles, be sure to call the vinyl shop beforehand to see what they’ll have in stock. Quantities will be limited and every store won’t carry the same titles.
Additional reporting by August Brown, Kenan Draughorne, Vanessa Franko, Nate Jackson and Steve Appleford.