Support Local Record Stores: Record Store Day is This Saturday
by Kristin Holloway
Opinions Editor

Since its inception in 2007, Record Store Day has gained a cult-like following, and this year’s celebration is shaping up to be no different. The world-wide event is held every third Saturday in April in over 1,500 U.S. record stores and 1,000 international stores, covering every continent but Antarctica. Jackson’s closest participating store is T-Bone’s Records and Café in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t check out Offbeat on Wesley Avenue this Saturday , April 18, in order to show your support for music and local business.

This year’s festivities are being spearheaded by Record Store Day Ambassador Dave Grohl, of Nirvana and Foo Fighters fame, and include a limited-release 7-inch single cover of Stephen Hawking singing Monty Python’s “Galaxy Song”. Only 1,000 hard copies will be sold this Saturday, but in case you miss out, digital copies are available as well as an “out of this world” music video starring the famous physicist himself.

Other Record Store Day exclusive releases include:
• a remastered studio version of Bob Dylan’s legendary The Basement Tapes (which were first recorded in 1967 and bootleg released by fans in 1975)
• Allman Brother Gregg Allman’s self-entitled live album that was recorded in Macon, Georgia
• The White Stripes’ Get Behind me Satan (while originally released in 2005, Saturday marks the first time the album will be commercially released on vinyl)
• Willie Nelson’s Teatro with backing vocals by the lovely Emmylou Harris will be released for the first time on vinyl this Saturday. Teatro is pressed on gold vinyl and is limited to 5,000 copies.

So, since music and science’s biggest stars support Record Store Day, why don’t you? It’s true that Offbeat isn’t a participating Record Store Day store, but in addition to selling vinyl, the independent store also sells comic books and has an art gallery, so you could argue that that makes it cooler than any of the official stores. Either way, be sure to show your support for vinyl music this Saturday!