While soccer moms arrive at WalMart in mobs to fight over Elmo dolls and slightly discounted flatscreens, music fans will be lined
up outside their local record stores for something much more rewarding—limited edition vinyl.
Record stores such as Nashville’s Grimey’s and Murfreesboro’s Little Shop of Records will be participating in “Back to Black Friday,” which is a counterpart to April’s “Record Store Day.” Independent record shops across the country will be offering exclusive releases, just like during the spring event.
“Record Store Day is a celebration of independent record stores all over the country,”said Grant Polston, owner of Little Shop of Records. “It’s a way to protect the independent record stores from the Targets, the WalMarts, the mass retailers of the world. Artists get together, and they will issue exclusive [releases] just for small record stores. They try to keep us alive, so to speak.”
More than a hundred releases from artists such as U2, Nirvana, Bob Dylan and more will be available at participating stores.
While each store varies with which releases they receive, Polston guarantees that Little Shop will have box sets from Metallica and Dave Matthews Band, Lana Del Rey picturediscs, and reissues from Nirvana, Miles Davis and Nas, in addition to a plethora of other Black Friday exclusives.
Other regional stores participating in the event include The Great Escape, Third Man Records and Grimey’s, which will feature an
exclusive release from Moon Taxi. In addition to vinyl, Third Man Records will be offering special merchandise for the event, including new apparel, iPhone accessories and the Bumble Buzz Guitar Pedal, a replica of the effects pedal used by Jack White while recording “I’m Shakin’.”
Follow John Connor Coulston on Twitter at @JCCoulston.
