‘Record Store Day’ Returns Saturday With Some Changes

Music fans have been waiting since April for Record Store Day, and it's finally here.

To say that Justin Johnson from Darkside Records in Poughkeepsie is excited for Saturday is an understatement. Record Store Day, originally scheduled for the spring, is a biannual celebration of independent record stores. Limited-edition albums and special releases made especially for indie stores are available on a first-come, first-served basis. The event is usually marked with music, food and a packed store all day long.

After COVID-19 hit, Record Store Day was postponed from April to June. But as everyone realized that things weren't getting better any time soon, the event was postponed once again and transformed into something a little different.

Instead of one big day with hundreds of new releases available, Record Store Day will now be spread out on three different weekends. The first date will be this Saturday, August 29 with other celebrations planned on September 26 and October 24th. Johnson tells us that the usual Black Friday record store date is also still on, so you'll actually have four months of new music to binge on.

Customers are still welcome to wait in line overnight for the 9am opening, but are asked to please social distance and wear masks. The store will only be allowing two people inside at a time to purchase their albums, utilizing separate entrances and exits. And while the live music and food will be toned down, there will still be free coffee from the Poughkeepsie Grind and other goodies available to those who come out.

Details on some of the new releases available this Saturday are available on the official RSD website.