We might be a bunch of fully grown music nerds with a turntable and a dream, but when we finally make it to the checkout counter to exchange our hard-earned monies for this day's carefully selected bounty, it's hard not to feel like a kid again.
For the past nine years, Record Store Day has been providing vinyl purveyors and music enthusiasts their own special place on the calendar as shops around the world open their doors to sell out limited-edition LPs, special releases, and dollar-bin gems, often incorporating live music, DJs, and other special treats.
While corporate giants hop on the growing vinyl bandwagon, it's the independently owned shops like Radio-Active that continue to offer history and uphold the legacy. Unlike so many holidays dedicated to getting us to shell out, Record Store Day is a celebration of the music, the culture, and independent spirit we feed off of every time the needle drops.
For 2016, Radio-Active has lined up another doozy of a Record Store Day, collaborating with everyone from Cigar City Brewing and Gramps Bar in Wynwood to Jolt Radio and Uber to give back to the fans and properly celebrate all things vinyl. Here's a bit of what we can expect from the daylong event, going down Saturday, April 16, starting at 8 a.m.:
- Highlights from the day's DJ sets include Daniel Ash (Bauhaus, Love and Rockets, Tones on Tail), Benton (Gramps), and Sgt. Pepperspray (Jacuzzi Boys), and the entire day's DJ sets will be streaming live from local-based Jolt Radio.
- In addition to exclusive RSD2016 LP and CD releases, vinyl offerings will include more than 10,000 new-arrival, secondhand records and 45s ranging from punk and hip-hop to R&B, jazz, and more. Sidewalk sales will feature plenty of $1 LPs, CDs, and 45s.
- And no Record Store Day would be complete without some free stuff. Radio-Active will be handing out free drinks all day, courtesy of Gramps Bar, Red Bull, and Hard Rock. It's also partnered with Uber to offer patrons free local rides (use promo code RARSD16). The event will also feature giveaways from Cigar City Brewing, the Fillmore, Gramps, Pabst Blue Ribbon Miami, Red Bull, Revolution Live, and more.
Record Store Day 2016
With DJs Daniel Ash, Benton, Sgt. Pepperspray, and more. 8 a.m. Saturday, April 16, at Radio-Active Records, 845 N. Federal Highway, Fort Lauderdale. Admission is free. Visit Facebook.