Mark your calendars—Record Store Day is Saturday and New Hampshire’s indie record shops are gearing up for a busy day on Saturday, April 12.
Launched in 2008 by a group of passionate record store owners, Record Store Day has grown into a global celebration, honoring the culture of independent music shops, and fans. Artists release exclusive, limited-edition vinyl and special reissues, often with surprise drops that can only be found at participating stores.
For Michael Cohen, owner of Pitchfork Records in Concord, it’s the busiest day of the year.
“Normally we have 79 to 90 people waiting in line to get in,” he said.
People line up outside his store starting at 5:30 a.m. and wait until the store opens at 8.
“We have what we have and once it’s gone, it’s gone,” Cohen said. “They get here early if they want it.”
This year’s lineup is stacked with releases. Cohen anticipates Taylor Swift’s single with Post Malone on 7″ vinyl will draw more people than normal.
Other popular releases include:
- Reissues of the first three Harry Potter soundtracks
- Limited singles from Charli XCX and Billie Eilish
- Grateful Dead and Jerry Garcia Band box sets
Post Malone will also drop an exclusive tribute to Nirvana, livestreamed during the 2020 pandemic. Cohen expects this year’s event to be even bigger than before.
Pitchfork Records will be handing out free coffee and donuts, but beyond that, it’s all about the music. “There’s always something for everyone,” Cohen said.
See the complete list of releases. If you are a collector or music enthusiast, here’s where you can find participating stores in New Hampshire.
