Scene
Where to go on Record Store Day
Light-wash-jean-jacket-wearing dads, pretentious Kombucha-sippers and regular civilians, it is time to unite: Record Store Day 2015 will finally be upon us this Saturday. This nationwide event was established in 2007 to celebrate independent record stores and their brick-and-mortar locations. Participating stores will feature special vinyl and CD releases, promotional items and concert giveaways galore. Here are some of our favorite picks for this year.
Vintage Vinyl
Located on the Delmar Loop, Vintage Vinyl is incredibly accessible to Washington University students. While doors won’t officially open until 10 a.m., free Kaldi’s Coffee and desserts from Strange Donuts will be served at 8 a.m. For the 21-and-up crowd, there will be free Schlafly Beer starting at 11 a.m. and free Monster energy drinks from noon to 4 p.m.
There will be performances by six local bands including School of Rock, Town Cars, Bella & Lilly, Bruiser Queen, We Are Hex and Rockwell Knuckles. There will also be a mix of DJ sets from Turntable Orchestra, in addition to guest DJs from local venues and media outlets.
Acts we’re excited about:
1. Bruiser Queen, a local garage rock/pop outfit, will keep customers pumped in the afternoon. They’re fun. You’ll have fun.
2. Stand-up comedian Kelsey McClure is the mafia queen of the comedy scene in St. Louis. She routinely opens for comedians touring through St. Louis and also runs the Comedy in the Lou website. No matter what she does, it’ll be entertaining.
Why you should go:
Since this is so close to campus, plenty of Wash. U. students will be there. Which means, that person from your stats class that you’ve, like, kind of been in love with all semester might be going. Which means that it’s totally possible for you both to accidentally grab the same 12-inch Rush vinyl that you’ve both had on your eyes on, which would make it possible for him/her/them to say something like “let’s get coffee after this” or even “you have a booger streamlining across the entire left side of your face” or something. Life is full of possibilities!
Euclid Records
Euclid Records is a little further away in Webster Groves. Still, you have plenty of time to get there—it’s celebrating Record Store Day all weekend, with acts lined up from Friday evening to Sunday afternoon (they will still open at 10 a.m. on Record Store Day). The food will include coffee, donuts and barbecue from Highway 61 Roadhouse. Pabst Blue Ribbon is sponsoring the event, so expect free PBR to be flowing.
The lineup includes local bands like Brother Lee & the Leather Jackals and Sleepy Kitty. Two Nashville bands, *repeat repeat and Foster & Lloyd, along with New York’s Kristeen Young, will also be featured. Additionally, comedians Kevin White, Jeremy Essig and Andrew Frank will be performing stand-up on Saturday.
Acts we’re excited about:
1. Indie rock duo Sleepy Kitty balances catchy melodies, a lead female vocal and a grunge undertone. Its broad appeal should keep the audience engaged.
2. Andrew Frank, one of the main faces of the St. Louis stand-up scene, recently won the “Make Me Laugh” stand-up competition in St. Louis. He’s able to make audiences laugh at open mics (which is difficult, because people are usually drunk and/or inattentive), so he should have no problem killing it at Euclid Records.
Why you should go:
It’ a big deal—I mean, it’s three days long, so why not stop by at least once? Webster Groves is also a college town, so you’d have the experience of leaving one college bubble and immersing yourself into another. That way, you don’t ever have to go out into the real world at all! According to the general Tinder demographic of Webster University students, they’re really good at having snarky bios and nice filters. If you make friends in Webster Groves, they’ll probably be incredibly hip.
Music Record Shop
Music Record Shop will start the fun early by opening at 7 a.m. on Saturday. They’re also partnering with fellow Manchester Avenue businesses, giving the event a homegrown, community flavor. Customers will be able to purchase arts and crafts, clothing from local vendors and food truck fare, with beer provided by Urban Chestnut Brewing Company.
The Demo, an intimate Grove venue, will host a slew of performers from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The musical acts will include Letter to Memphis, Durango, The Vanilla Beans, the Pat Sajak Assassins, Rival Brothers and DinoFight!.
Acts we’re excited about:
1. The Pat Sajak Assassins, an experimental electronic-rock act, surprisingly doesn’t have anything to do with assassinating Pat Sajak. They’re definitely out of the ordinary, considering their logo looks like the proposed lovechild of Che Guevara and Ronald McDonald. Their unique, catchy sound is definitely worth checking out.
Why you should go:
Record Store Day on Manchester Avenue is a shared, collaborative event within various businesses in The Grove. This is a great way to experience one of the most lively neighborhoods in St. Louis while also supporting local businesses. Check out all the cool things The Grove has to offer: Rise Coffee, Everest Cafe, the Ready Room and more. There’s also a White Castle conveniently located in the vicinity. If you’re running dangerously low on meal points (curse you, godly Paws & Go freshly squeezed orange juice), you can always purchase nutritious sliders to stockpile in your pockets. Personally, I will try to wear extra pockets to maximize the number of sliders I can hold on my person.