The original idea behind Record Store Day was to take one day out of the year to celebrate record store culture, not the big box music sellers like your Best Buys and Targets, but the smaller independents with their almost organized inventory and know-it-all clerks who probably won’t help you find that Third Eye Blind album.  Ok, maybe its intention wasn’t so much to show appreciation for snarky clerks (Although I never tire of that stereotype). And, yes, some may see record stores as a relic of the past.  Still others, and we’re talking to the more cynical out there, may decry the day as a mad grab for limited edition releases that ultimately end up being flipped on eBay.  But, at its core, Record Store Day is about the local music community and the music stores that often serve as the hubs of those communities. Now, that is something worth celebrating.

Perhaps no city does a better job of embracing the local music scene on Record Store Day than our very own Cleveland.  Need proof?  Just check out the long list of events happening this Saturday on Waterloo Road at The Beachland, Music Saves and Blue Arrow Records.

At The Beachland Tavern during Beachland Brunch:
DJ Bill from IRockCleveland.com, aka, me – 11:00 AM -1:30
DJ Vince from Gotta Groove Records – 1:30 – 4:00

At Music Saves:
Dan Friel of Parts and Labor – 4:00

At the Beachland Ballroom (Parking Lot Between Beachland and Music Saves)
Swindella – 4:30
Herzog – 5:30
Shoreway – 6:30

At Blue Arrow Records:
Library Time – 5:00
Terminal Lovers – 6:00
Tinko – 7:00

At the Beachland Tavern:
Cloud Nothings
Parts and Labor
Childbite (Doors at 8:00, $10)

At the Beachland Ballroom:
Budos Band
Charles Bradley (Doors at 8:00, $15)

Oh, and there will be records, too.  Music Saves has published a list of the limited edition releases they will be carrying.  Blue Arrow, will be carrying a few select tittles, too.  For the master list of all Record Store Day releases, visit the Record Store Day homepage.

poster by Jake Kelly