Once a year, music lovers celebrate Record Store Day by showing up to support their favorite independently owned local record stores. The first Record Store Day took place in April 2008, and the 18th anniversary of the event takes place this Saturday, April 18, with plenty of live music and deals to enjoy across the St. Louis area.
Here’s a guide to some of the official Record Store Day-pledged stores in St. Louis and the parties, entertainment, and specials that will entail. Queue up to catch a glimpse of exclusive vinyl releases, featuring varying selections of more than 350 limited pressings that span a diverse array of genres. For a comprehensive list of vendors and releases, visit the official Record Store Day website.
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6610 Delmar
Expect a full day of free entertainment from this local institution that had its humble beginnings at the Soulard Farmers’ Market in 1979 (check out Papa Ray’s Vintage Vinyl Roadshow, which just premiered its third season, for more on that legacy). Vintage Vinyl has participated in every RSD since its inception, and the line to get in is expected to wrap around the block from the get-go. Doors open at 9 a.m. for RSD titles only, and the entire store opens at 10 a.m. DJed music inside kicks off the morning with ticket giveaways from Live Nation, The Factory, and City Winery.
At 12 p.m., Steve Smith of The Royale will take over the booth before handing the decks off to Community Radio St. Louis DJs Randall Roberts, Doug Morgan, Crim Dolla Cray, and Rob Levy. Outdoor performances in front of the store start at 11:30 a.m. with School of Rock Ballwin, followed by So Grand Polka Band, The Rally Boys, Lindy Slopper, Nite Sprites, and Railhazer.
4 Hands Brewing Co. partners with the store for a good cause: Free beers will be on hand all day on a donation basis, and all proceeds will benefit Redbike Outreach, a volunteer-based nonprofit on a mission to bring essential supplies to the unhoused. “The fundraising is something we started a few years ago and the causes are always so good,” says store director Leon Reed. “Every single penny in those tips goes towards supporting the organization and helping people out.”
19 N. Gore
This stalwart of the music community, established in 1981, will host its 18th Record Store Day soiree beginning at 10 a.m. and running all day long until the store closes at 8 p.m. “It’s like the entire Christmas shopping season crammed into one raucous day,” says Euclid Records marketing and sales rep Toby Weiss. Visitors will find RSD titles under the tent on the back patio alongside a schedule chock full of bands, free beer, and food from Steve’s Hot Dogs. Local music on an indoor stage provides a live soundtrack for shoppers starting at noon with The Grooveliner, followed by Cave Radio, Vallencourt, Jesus Christ Supercar, Paul Burch, The High and The Mighty, and DJ Lance Rock. Drinks will be provided by 4 Hands Brewing Co., Urban Chestnut Brewing Co., and Logboat Brewing Co.
8716 Gravois
RSD festivities commence at 10 a.m. (until 10 p.m.) with plenty of exclusives and store-wide discounts: 30 percent off new and 40 percent off used vinyl records, 30 percent off CDs, 50 percent off cassettes, a cash-only dollar tent, and deals on movies, books, shirts, and more. Notably, in-house The Record Label releases are 50 percent off, excluding RSD exclusives.
“This year, I am really excited for my Undead live 7″ that I’m releasing on Record Store Day on my label The Record Label,” says owner Donald Brazel. “I got to create this one from scratch, and it was an honor to work with an OG member of The Misfits and to preserve a piece of New York hardcore history from the genesis of the movement.”
In addition to vinyl-only DJs, bands perform in store at 6 p.m. and the lineup features Gummi, Legendary Tiger Rider, Family Medicine, and Breakmouth Annie. The Scene of the Crime DJ patio party hosted by Jason Rerun of CRSTL features special guest DJs Johnny B, DJ Meegs, Kenny Fister, B.A. Bob, Ramon, and Bin Jones.
Food and drinks come from The Crow’s Nest and Perennial Artisan Ales. Shop exclusive releases including John Carpenter’s In The Mouth Of Madness OST on “Hell On Earth” vinyl limited to only 100 copies as well as the aforementioned Undead 7” in blue, orange, or purple vinyl. Fans can even rep The Record Space with a tote bag and shirt from official Topps Garbage Pail Kids artist Aaron Laurich.
7421 Manchester
From 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Planet Score Records will host a party for record lovers by record lovers. In addition to a wide selection of RSD exclusive releases, look forward to “a huge secret stash drop, which means we will be putting out a ton of super cool, super cheap vinyl for folks to dig through,” says co-owner Joe Stulce. Complimentary snacks and drinks on hand come courtesy of Old Vienna, 2nd Shift Brewing Co., 3 Floyds Brewing, and 4 Hands Brewing Co. Local DJs—-several of which are from CRSTL Community Radio—-spin vinyl throughout the day’s festivities. Look forward to sets from DJ Jeffy Jeff the Sunken Head, Landy Dandy, bobEE Sweet, Jackie T., and Disco Ben.
“KDHX was such a gift to the community and was easy to take for granted until it unceremoniously went away. I discovered so much fantastic music through that station and the DJs that ran it, and I became friends with many of those DJs throughout the years,” Stulce says. “To see so many of the volunteers come together and start this new Community Radio station from ground zero is just incredible. We thought it would be cool to show our support and invite some of the DJs to spin records for our RSD celebration.”
3302 Meramec
Since 2014, Kismet Records has offered an alternative art-focused space for St. Louisans to explore their creative sides. At the Dutchtown store in The Wink! Business Incubator this Saturday, co-owners Tom Maher and Sonia Dae Slankard will offer “indie exclusives (Camper Van Beethoven, Flying Lotus, and Pavement just to name a few), homemade snacks, and booze,” Maher says. “And Sonia will be available at the Annex all day facilitating art projects with junk records.”
316 S. County Center
Joe Smith established Joe’s Records in 2004 with an initial storefront in Evansville, Indiana. The St. Louis location inside South County Center has been going strong since debuting in 2021, and the brand currently also has locations in Springfield, Missouri, and Memphis. Sales go down at the St. Louis mall storefront at 8 a.m. until closing at 8 p.m., and Smith says visitors can expect “a pretty honking inventory for sure” when it comes to RSD exclusives. “The titles are really good this year. This one is frontloaded big time,” he says. Additionally, look forward to the following deals: 20 percent off of all used merchandise, 10 percent off of all new merch, and buy one get one 30 percent off on the store’s wide selection of band T-shirts.
