My friend and I did Record Store Day 2018 with both feet in. Total commitment to the day. First we played a r&r show with our band on the sidewalk in front of Vintage Vinyl (see previous post), a ragtag group of early risers turned out for our 11am set. It was cold, but our fingers on fretboards held up, and the set pretty much went without a hitch. It was a surprisingly satisfying outing.
Then we trekked to Bloodshot Records to check out their Record Store Pop-Up Shop, we scored CDs, T-shirts & special blend coffee, then we motored down to Reckless Records in Wicker Park and joined the teeming masses scouring the used record and CD bins for treasure. Finally, we ended up at Falafel Grill and had a hearty, meal. It was a great, very satisfying, fulfilling day.
We saw the great, incomparable, Jon Langford at Bloodshot. I gave him a nod of recognition but didn't have the nerve to start a conversation. He is such an inspiration, an incredible singer, songwriter and visual artist. The complete Renaissance Man. We purchased two new CD's from artists on Bloodshot Records: "Cowboy Sally's Twilight Laments" by Sally Timms, and "Existentialism" from the Mekons. Also snagged a Bloodshot Records T-shirt: "Alt-Country, Not Alt-Facts," and we scored a special blend of coffee beans from Dark Matter Coffee: "Over the Cliff, Bloodshot."
Jon Langford
At Reckless we made these purchases, can't wait to give them a listen: "Unhalfbricking" - Fairport Convention, "Cinder," - The Dirty Three, "The Covers Record" - Cat Power, "Take Care, Take Care, Take Care" - Explosions in the Sky, and "Goodbye Yellowbrick Road," - Elton John.
There was so much energy on the street and in the stores. So happy that Record Store Day is a thriving thing! So happy we got to be a part of it all.