Record Store Day started well before Saturday with lines cueing up at 6PM the day before at Third Man Records with some vinyl collectors showing up from several states away for the special Record Store Day items.
Third Man had a private party with tour buses lined up which included Willie Nelson and Neil Young last Thursday night in preparation for Jack White’s latest installation into the company store: a vocal booth where you can cut your own 7 inch record and have it come out of a machine ready to play.
The line started to form at Grimeys about the same time. The people at the front of the line had started about 6PM Friday as well to make sure they had their pick of the special releases. The front of liners at Grimeys had a laundry list of stuff to grab and Dave Matthews rare 500 only vinyl was on the list.
The first campers at The Great Escape Charlotte store arrived at 8PM. The main reason they got there was for the same rare Dave Matthews’ 500 only release. Great Escape was said to have two copies. The best kept secret in town is that Great Escape gets a majority of the same things that Grimeys gets but, if you arrive about 5AM you can probably get what you want and be 4th or 5th in line. The Great Escape also is the earliest store to open at 8AM.
Grimeys definitely had top flight entertainment all day long with headliners Paramore playing later in the day.
The Groove was not to be outdone with a Mas Tacos truck out front serving up some of East Nashville’s best Mexican food and a stage in the back. The Groove probably had a well-balanced full plate with a pair of local labels G.E.D. Soul Records and Jeffery Drag Records that featured Natural Child rolling papers made in the Peoples Republic of China manning booths with plenty of new vinyl.
G.E.D. Soul had a Record Store Day 7” release, Sky Hi’s Reality Check as well as an afternoon performance by recording artist DeRobert & The Half-Truths who performed with the sun hitting the band straight in the face. DeRobert blocked the glare with some cool shades.
G.E.D. Soul Records was spinning vinyl in between sets.
Graffiti artists Mike “Ol Skool” Mucker and Troy Duff had their own thing going on in the alley behind The Groove.
The afternoon behind The Groove got hot when KCRW “Breakout Band” Penicillin Baby started off with some great Garage surf staring at their guitars and meditating on the Fender reverb spring action.
Tristen was in good spirits going through a strong enthusiastic set.
Chrome Pony had it all, a great drummer playing extremely tough and tight on the kit and a red headed guitarist that matched the bright sun glowing in the afternoon sky. For once, Nashville had a perfect weather day this year.
The Groove also had bins outside lined up on the side of the old house with one dollar records. It was a sure hit with what dollars were left over after buying the Big Star $39.99 double vinyl.
East Nashville parents brought their kids along and it was interesting to see Nashville veteran alt-rockers Forget Cassettes kind of Goth pop – Souxsie & The Banshees type thing going through a six year old’s brain. A little more mind expanding than afternoon geography at the elementary school.
Even Ernest Tubb Record Shop got into the Record Store Day thing with a few featured releases including Eric Church’s vinyl that had Whiskey poured into the actual pressing and the Chet Atkin’s Blackjack EP that was quickly sold out and was never seen by anybody but the buyers.
Phonoluxe, which doesn’t purchase any new records, but, may have the best variety of used vinyl in town, pulled out all the stops and brought many hidden treasures out for purchase. This was the stuff that might only get to EBay. They had plenty of rare stuff for the serious collector.
Rock band, The Ettes opened up a new used vinyl store and label in Riverside called Fond Object on Record Store Day. Fond Object fills a niche of more punk and metal with stock that used to part of one of the band members own collection starting out a busy room full of noise.
An afternoon of fine music on the green was to be had behind Fond Object featuring the true country honky tonk of Alabama native J.P. Harris & The Tough Choices which featured a little Speedy West / Jimmy Bryant kind of dual lead vibe before the end of their set.
The sun started to settle and all the vinyl was packed away in the when Cheap Time featuring Jessica from Heavy Cream on bass went through a ripping set behind Fond Object. Speaking of Heavy Cream, the missing record for Record Store Day that should have been was a back to back release of The Stooges, “1969” and Heavy Cream’s “1979.” Elektra and Infinity Cat, are you listening? It was interesting to hear three chord slash with a couple of three year old kids chasing each other in front of the band.
Fond Object’s Record Store Day party featured mixed drinks and custom hot dogs. The best had homemade tomatillo Sauce with sour cream and cilantro. I need to make that one at home.
I was looking forward to going through my new finds, but, my earlt 90’s Marantz 780 receiver had a fit and shut down and is now in search of a good stereo repair guy before I get to enjoy my cache of new colored vinyl.
All photo © 2013 Brad Hardisty
– Brad Hardisty, Nashville, TN thenashvillebridge@hotmail.com
–
The Nashville Bridge 
Great photos!! I made a video of Record Store Day in Nashville hitting many of the same spots (and even some of the same people! LOL), but also including a tour of the National Record Pressing plant. Hope you check it out!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAJ2c5G8D2w
good to hear! I like how Nashville has turned Record Store Day into a national holiday! it should be. Digital was a scam and a sham that we all bought into. It is only good as a reference and cheap dulicator copier. We have bought into music as being nothing but bones and skin and the meat was really not there, but, it is, the beautiful roaring mid’s and dynamics are there if we go back to tape and vinyl. We will once again be able to tell the difference between a Gibson and a Martin acoustic again!