All About Record Store Day
Record Store Day
The best time of the year is almost here with only one month until our biggest event of the year. On April 23rd, we will host our annual Record Store Day at The Groove. This year we are taking a look back at the past Record Store Days and why this special day is important not just for us, but for all record stores.
Record Store Day was conceived in 2007 as a way to celebrate and spread the word about the unique culture surrounding nearly 1400 independently owned record stores in the US and thousands of similar stores internationally. 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. In celebration, Acme Radio Live has partnered with The Groove in East Nashville since 2017 to throw a free show in their backyard.
1103 Calvin Ave, Nashville, TN. 37206 Photo Credits: The Groove
The Groove
The Groove New & Used Vinyl & CDs found its home in the heart of East Nashville in 2007. Now it is 2022, and it is one of the few remaining record stores in Nashville where you can walk in and purchase a brand new vinyl release. The Groove owners, Jesse and Michael, underwent their biggest challenge yet in November of 2021 when their building went up for sale and they were faced with the possibility of closure. For the next two months, the future of our favorite vinyl shop and Record Store Day was in the hands of fate. Luckily, The Groove still remains intact on Calvin Avenue now with a brand new landlord. This year, in the wake of all of the uncertainty, Record Store Day feels extra special.
Record Store Day has been a way to celebrate the people that introduce us to new music. How many bands have you discovered just by chatting with an employee or customer at a record store? These buildings are sacred and have a serious impact on the trajectory of many artist careers. Looking at the artists who played our very first Record Store Day at the Groove in 2017, those same artists can now pack out major venues in town. It's the space, inclusivity, and community that gave these artists a platform to develop and grow. It has also become an amazing space to invite our favorite local vendors, such as Labcanna and Friendly Arctic.
Liza Anne, 2021.
There have been so many special and amazing moments from past Record Store Days. *repeat repeat in 2018 will always been one of our favorites. Of course in 2020, we had no choice but to cancel our event with only one month until showtime. We were anticipating one of our best Record Store Day’s yet, and being able to return the next year in 2021 felt better than ever. Having Liza Anne last year was definitely a stand out special moment. It finally felt like the pandemic was ending, shows were being booked, and these artists were able to perform their music live again. Liza Anne finally was able to play her 2020 record, Bad Vacation, and it felt like a triumphant return to some kind of normal for not just us, but also for her as well.
The Groove, 2018.
Teddy and The Rough Riders, 2021.
In this day and age, people may find themselves wondering why these record stores and physical forms of music is still important. Digital streaming is such an easy way to ingest music. You can move in and out of songs, artists, and genres at the tap of a button, but in turn, you end up losing what an artist is really trying to convey with their body of work. Vinyl records, it’s not as easy. You’re thumbing through albums, cueing them up, flipping them, all in a solid effort to try and understand where someone else is coming from. Taking the time to sit through an entire project and ruminate about the intended message can be tedious, but also more authentic to the purpose. Not to mention, purchasing physical copies of music is an amazing way to support an artist who is making nearly nothing in streaming revenue.
Record Store Day 2022
We are counting down the days until Record Store Day 2022. Each year, the official Record Store Day announces a long list of exclusive releases. Here are some of our top picks:
We are excited and grateful to continue the tradition of Record Store Day for another year. Subscribe to our newsletter below to make sure you are notified the minute the lineup for this year drops. We can’t wait to see everyone at The Groove on April 23rd for live music, local vendors, and of course, lots of vinyl shopping.