Macomb, IL – Just like the music they sell, records stores are now going digital. But even as many people turn to the Internet for music, there are still those who enjoy the human interaction that comes with a trip to a record store. Some enjoy it so much there has even been a day dedicated to it.
April 18th was dubbed Record Store Day last year, which was the first year for the celebration. This year, there are nearly 1,000 stores participating. They can be found all across the US, Canada, Europe, and Japan.
The participating stores will receive exclusive merchandise available only for them.
One of the co-founders of Record Store Day is Mike Kurtz. He's president of the
Music Monitor Network in California. It's the largest coalition of independent record stores in the US and Canada.
Kurtz says Record Store Day could not be successful without the support of artists. Last year there were seven exclusive releases for the day. This year, there are more than 100.
A southeast Iowa record store is taking part in the celebration. Weird Harold's in Burlington also participated last year. Owner Danny Bazine hopes music lovers will also participate. "You don't necessarily need to spend a lot of money but at least visit your local independent retailer and tell them that you appreciate them," says Bazine.
Western Illinois University Music Business major Brady Laven is one of those music lovers. He recently visited The Phoenix, which is an independent record store located near the WIU campus.
The album he was looking for was already available on iTunes and at Wal-Mart, but Laven waited a few extra days to buy it from the local retailer. "I like the lady who works there. That's one big thing," says Laven. "And I don't want to buy from Wal-Mart because it's just giving more money to a crappy, giant corporation."
It's the personal connection that convinces people such as Laven to pay a little more for their music.
Danny Bazine of Weird Harold's knows few people are willing to pay higher prices for music. But he says if Record Store Day convinces people to buy locally, then it's worth it.
Bazine says he does not expect to make much from the sale of the exclusive merchandise on Record Store Day. But he hopes the people who come out on April 18th keep coming back and either re-join or become a new part of the record store community.