Deals, concerts, camaraderie on offer at Record Store Day 2023

What’s Record Store Day?

Record Store Day, conceived in 2007 at a gathering of independent record store owners and employees as a way to celebrate and spread the word about the unique culture surrounding nearly 1,400 independently-owned record stores in the US, first took place on April 19, 2008. Now, Record Store Day is celebrated at independently-owned brick-and-mortar record stores around the world. Celebrations include special vinyl and CD releases and various promotional products, made exclusively for the day. 

Record Store Day in Toledo

Toledo is home to multiple great record stores, including Culture Clash Records (912 Monroe St., Toledo), Your Media Exchange (1738 W Laskey Rd., Toledo), Allied Records (multiple locations), No Noise Records and HiFi (4470 Monroe St., Toledo), and Finders Records (128 N Main St., Bowling Green). All of the named stores are participating in Record Store Day for a common purpose to promote local businesses, music and community.

For 2023, the feeling is that this will be the most “normal-feeling” RSD since 2019. When asked what he would like to see occur with future RSD events, Broc Curry, owner of Your Media Exchange, stated “there was a period of time where the quantities of RSD pressings seemed quite large. I’d like to see that become more limited to make it feel more of a RSD-exclusive versus being able to purchase it day, weeks or months after RSD. I’d like to see it as a limited collectible, making it that much more meaningful.”

While in a digital world, buying a physical album benefits the consumer, record store and the artist more than streaming or downloading it. Curry mentioned that physical media tends to have better sound quality than what’s available online. Plus the ability to read the liner notes and to be awed by an album’s artwork while physically holding it makes a meaningful experience. Damien Camacho, an employee at Culture Clash Records, said “streaming financially results in a net negative for artists, especially smaller local artists where streaming services don’t particularly compensate them fairly. With owning physical media, someone supports the artists they connect with, as well as keeping that piece of music for an indefinite period of time.”

Camacho adds, “For Toledo specifically, Record Store Day really brings a sense of community to what would be a simple niche hobby. We get to showcase local artists and introduce music in general to people who wouldn’t normally see this community. I like the sense of community we have with how we do RSD. Having local artists, musicians, and vendors bring people together to showcase what we have going on in the city will always be something we strive for.” Curry concurs: “It’s a good day to feel connected to the greater music-collecting community.”

To find participating Record Store Day stores in your area, visit https://recordstoreday.com/Stores

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