Happy Record Store Day, Internet.
I had been on the fence for weeks, unsure if I wanted to bother with
Record Store Day this year. There wasn't a whole hell of a lot I was interested in picking up this year -
maybe a couple LPs that stoked my interest, but nothing serious. I had spoken with Jim, the owner of
Radio Wasteland (my local record haunt) the last time I was in there buying a bunch of shit I didn't need, and he more or less echoed my sentiments. So I was leaning towards skipping the event all together.
My dad, however, was after a
Jethro Tull release (
Moths) that Radio Wasteland may or may not be getting (record stores never know what they're getting ahead of time), and since Dad was away at work he asked if
I could swing in and see if it was available. This was more or less the deciding factor in me going out - I figured,
'why not,' and showed up about an hour before they opened this morning. I had asked Jim if it was wise to show up so early, and he didn't think it was necessary: last year they had only had a handful of people lined up when the store opened.
 |
| (I'm behind the sign - you can barely see me.) |
You can imagine my surprise, then, when I showed up an
hour before they opened to find about a dozen people lined up ahead of me outside the store. Some of these people had been waiting since
6am (you know - those weird-looking, audiophile types who spent hundreds of dollars on albums no one cares about, yet live in either
a.) a super shitty apartment, or
b.) their parents' basement.)
Anyway, I was a little pissed, but through eavesdropping on the conversations around me I ascertained that no one was after
any of the records I was. Also, being one of the first 50 customers in line, I was guaranteed one of the free Radio Wasteland
turntable mats (see below.)
 |
| Behold my new turntable mat. |
Eventually, the line began to snake into the store, where they had a table set up specifically for the exclusive Record Store Day releases. As could be expected, the store didn't get everything that was available for purchase: they didn't get
Rage Against the Machine's Live at the 2000 Democratic National Convention that I was after, nor the
Jethro Tull LP my dad wanted. They
did, however, have a couple new ones I was hoping for: another exclusive RSD release by
The Animals (
Nights in San Francisco), and a collection of unreleased
Johnny Cash songs and poems.
 |
| (Jim special-ordered this for me a week later.) |
Most folks that were there picked up their releases and left, but Yours Truly stayed for about two hours, picking through all the vintage vinyl that everyone else passed by. As a result, I scored a ridiculous amount of plunder for next to
nothing - one of my more rewarding scores (which is saying something.)
Definitely hitting up Record Store Day next year.
By the time I got back from Radio Wasteland, Kris and the girls were ready for the day and itching to go the
Midland Center for the Arts for some random thing they were doing over there (I don't remember, I wasn't really paying attention when she told me about it.) Something to do with recycling or something? Who knows.
Anyway, here's a brief look at some of the
other stuff that happened later on our
ridiculously busy Saturday.
Enjoy. . .
 |
| Kris, the girls, and a brachiosaurus. |
 |
| Some experiment thing that was inside of the Center for the Arts. Kids had to make 'machines' out of random crap in order to collect oil from a 'spill.' Or something. I'm not sure what was going on here. |
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| Did you know that Michigan has a frickin' Scuba Diving Club? Neither did I. Totally makes sense, though - there is an insane number of shipwrecks throughout the Great Lakes - that'd be badass to dive and check those out. |
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| Later on in the afternoon, making a stop at Chestnut Hill's playground during a family bike ride. With the dog. |
(My wife is a lazy, lazy woman.)
 |
| Yes, that's snow on the ground. Still. It's f***ing LATE APRIL, Michigan. |
 |
| Later on in the evening, Abby rocks some of her dad's aviators at a barbecue at the Collier residence (some friends of ours.) |
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| Teaching little girls how to pole dance. 'Cause College is expensive. |
- Brian
Happy Record Store Day, Internet.
My dad, however, was after a Jethro Tull release (Moths) that Radio Wasteland may or may not be getting (record stores never know what they're getting ahead of time), and since Dad was away at work he asked if I could swing in and see if it was available. This was more or less the deciding factor in me going out - I figured, 'why not,' and showed up about an hour before they opened this morning. I had asked Jim if it was wise to show up so early, and he didn't think it was necessary: last year they had only had a handful of people lined up when the store opened.
You can imagine my surprise, then, when I showed up an hour before they opened to find about a dozen people lined up ahead of me outside the store. Some of these people had been waiting since 6am (you know - those weird-looking, audiophile types who spent hundreds of dollars on albums no one cares about, yet live in either a.) a super shitty apartment, or b.) their parents' basement.) 
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