AUSTIN, Texas — Record Store Day is around the corner, and in its 11th year, it's popularity is ever-increasing.

Vinyl album sales in the United States increased by more than 1,000 percent over the past ten years. And junkies line up at stores' openings to get their hands on rare and special releases from artists spanning all genres. It's not unusual to be greeted by fellow eager fans, shop owners, music performances, free food and drink and more. 

History of RSD

Record Store Day was conceived at a gathering of independent record store owners and employees as a way to celebrate and bring awareness of the nearly 1400 independently owned record stores in the U.S.

The first Record Store Day took place on April 19, 2008. Today, there are Record Store Day participating stores on every continent except Antarctica.

“This is a day for the people who make up the world of the record store—the staff, the customers, and the artists—to come together and celebrate the unique culture of a record store and the special role these independently owned stores play in their communities. Special vinyl and CD releases and various promotional products are made exclusively for the day,” organizers of Record Store Day said.

Participating shops in Austin

  • Out of the Past Collectibles, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, 5341 Burnet Road
  • Encore Records, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, 809 E. 6th St. 
  • Exploded Records at Juiceland, 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., 4500 Duval St. 
  • Groovers Paradise Record Shop, Noon to 9 p.m. Saturday, 6550 Comache Trail #213
  • Waterloo Records, 8 a.m. (opening early) to 11 p.m. Saturday, 600 N. Lamar Blvd. 
  • Breakaway Records, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., 211 W. North Loops Blvd. 
  • Friends of Sound, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., 1704 South Congree Ave. 
  • Antone's Record Shop, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., 2928 Guadalupe St. #101 
  • End of an Ear, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., 4304 Clawson Road 

 

Special 2018 releases we're looking forward to 

RSD 2018's list of releases is long and diverse in that there's a little something for everyone. To see the full list, visit here.