The first Record Store Day took place on April 19th, 2008, with a meet-and-greet by Metallica at the Rasputin Music store in San Francisco. It was conceived as a celebration of the unique culture of indie record stores. Fast-forward to 2018, and what started as a fun, grassroots celebration of vinyl in the US has transformed into an international phenomenon. Today, there are Record Store Day events happening across the globe. In Spain, and particularly in Barcelona, Record Store Day has become an annual highlight for music collectors, creators and indie music stores.
This year, Record Store Day falls on April 21st, and will be celebrated with free daytime and evening concerts at Revolver Records, SURCO, Discos 100, BCore, Disco Paradiso and many other stores. But it isn’t just about free concerts, it’s about getting your hands on limited-edition vinyls by national and international artists that aren’t available anywhere else. Serious collectors know to show up early, as there are often queues at participating stores.
The first edition of the event in Spain was organised by the now-defunct Disc K7 store in 2011. The following year, Carlos Pascual, from Revolver Records in Barcelona, took over its coordination. Since then, participation nationwide has grown exponentially.
“Barcelona loves it, and it’s a huge day for artists and music lovers,” Pascual said. “For local businesses, it is also one of the most important billing days of the year. In the case of some stores, revenue from this day alone allows them to keep their doors open. It’s a reminder and a celebration: ‘We’re still here, still fighting the good fight as independent vendors of music’.”
Only stores that function independently are allowed to participate. Pascual sees Record Store Day as an opportunity to support independent and local artists, as well as big names, and to give fans a tangible experience in an age of digital, disposable culture.
Barcelona resident Eduardo Benatar is a professional drummer for the bands Luz Verde and Side Chick, and owns an Eighties-themed bar, Polaroid (Còdols 29), in the Gothic Quarter. An avid collector of vinyl records, he never misses this annual event. “Record Store Day gives you a marvellous feeling of belonging to a like-minded community,” he said. “Seeing the music shops full of people makes me incredibly happy—even if it means the records I’m looking for might sell out before I get one for myself!”
Benatar believes that Record Store Day is not just for die-hard collectors, but has something for everyone. “The younger generations, who were raised on MP3s, are discovering the beauty of holding an actual physical thing created by their favourite artists,” he said. “Record Store Day is helping to keep music alive as an art form and needs the support of the people who enjoy it.”