(photo taken by Jack Cozzi using the Lomo app for iphone)2008 saw the launch of the first Record Store Day, which was designed to boost sales for independent record stores across the country. To help with this effort, a number of indie artists released limited edition singles just for the occasion. A friend and I met at Amoeba Music in Hollywood that day around the time they opened and found a very laid back scene. A few enthusiastic collectors, but nothing out of the ordinary. No longer. Record Store Day 2010 was truly an event, with Amoeba featuring an instore appearance by Slash and a performance across the street by Smashing Pumpkins. Amoeba opened at 10:30; my friends and I showed up at 10 to find there was already a line around the block to get in. Once the doors were open, a feeding frenzy ensued that was somewhere between the opening bell of the New York Stock Exchange and the running of the brides at Filene's Basement.
Miraculously I managed to walk away with a couple of this year's exclusives, but we were all much happier when we escaped to smaller less crowded stores. Rockaway Records in Silver Lake proved to be filled with treasures, and Origami Vinyl in Echo Park Vacation Vinyl in Hollywood both proved well worth the trip.
Oh, and lest I forget, I won a $20 record store gift certificate on Bob Ham's excellent blog, The Voice of Energy.
Here's how it all went down...
Stores visited:
Amoeba Music (Hollywood)
Rockaway Records (Silver Lake)
Origami Vinyl (Echo Park)
Vacation Vinyl (Hollywood)
Atomic Records (Burbank)
Penny Lane Records (Pasadena)
Poobah Records (Pasadena)
Record Store Day Exclusives acquired:
Neko Case-Middle Cyclone (Clear Vinyl)
R.E.M.-Chronic Town (Reissue, Blue Vinyl)
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band-Wrecking Ball/Ghost of Tom Joad 10"
Elvis Presley-That's All Right, Mama/Blue Moon of Kentucky 7" (Reissue)
Peter Gabriel/Stephen Merritt Split 7"
Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings/Budos Band Money/Day Tripper 7"
Ted Leo & The Pharmacists North Coast 7"
The Mountain Goats-Life of the World to Come DVD
Misc. New Vinyl purchased just because:
Titus Andronicus-The Monitor
Used LPS bought/deals found:
Grover Sings the Blues ($1 @ Vacation!)
Saturday Night Fever OST
The Byrds-Younger Than Yesterday
David Bowie-Christiane F OST
Elvis Presley Sings for Children & Grown-Ups Too
Supertramp-Breakfast In America
Ella Fitzgerald-Ella: songs in a mellow mood (50 cents @ Atomic!)
Used Singles:
XTC-Wake Up 10 "
Prince and the Revolution-I would Die 4 U/Another Lonely Christmas 12"
Pat Benatar-Love Is A Battlefield/Hell is For Children 7 "
Elusive Holy Grails not obtained:
Rolling Stones-Plundered My Soul 7"
Elvis Costello & The Attractions-Live from Hollywood High 7"
The Hold Steady-Heaven Is Whenever LP
Free schwag received:
"Whip It" mini movie poster
Record Store Day record bag
Origami Vinyl record bag
Noah and the Whale "Blue Skies" 7"
CD sampler featuring Jeff Bridges, Jimmy Buffett, Deep Purple among others
2 "Urban" record store day CD samplers
She and Him luggage tag
Puddle of Mudd keychain bottle opener
1 cassette sampler
3 record cleaning cloths
Stickers and postcards too numerous to mention
Fingers lost in the mob scene at Amoeba:
None, but it could have gone either way. Place was INSANE.
Award for nicest, most enthusiastic staff:
Origami Vinyl
Reason for not punching out Amoeba patron and stealing their Rolling Stones Single:
Too many witnesses.
Reason for drinking two cans of Colt 45:
It was free!
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