Exclusive releases draw crowds to Record Store Day

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Dan Malapanes got into the record-store business after experiencing a personal epiphany: He didn’t like being a letter carrier.

The lifelong Des Plaines resident had always been a music junkie, favoring such classic rock stalwarts as the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, so he figured opening his own store would be a good alternative to working for the postal service.

The result was Algonquin Records, which opened in Des Plaines in 1976.

“Now it’s 35 years later, and I’m still here,” Malapanes said. “I feel lucky, especially given how things have changed in the business.”

Algonquin Records is one of a number of suburban stores that will participate in the fourth annual Record Store Day, which takes place Saturday, April 16.

Record Store Day is designed to support and raise awareness of locally owned retailers at a time when they’re under siege by big-box chain stores, online sales and digital downloading.

Hundreds of special limited-edition items created specifically for the event will be shipped to more than 700 stores across the country. This year’s crop will include special vinyl releases from AC/DC, Death Cab for Cutie, Derek & the Dominos, Lady Gaga, R.E.M. and Bruce Springsteen, to name just a few. A full list is available at recordstoreday.com.

Stores don’t know ahead of time which releases they’ll get, or how many, so it pays to show up early, Malapanes said.

“It gives us a nice boost each year,” he said. “At my store, that day has become a bigger deal than Christmas Eve.”

Record Store Day is a big deal at other suburban stores, too, like Kiss the Sky Records in Geneva.

Kiss the Sky will begin the fun with a party at Bistro Thai restaurant next door at 10 p.m. Friday, April 15, followed by a midnight sale at the store. Kiss the Sky will remain open until there are no more customers, then it will close down and reopen at 8 a.m. Saturday.

Like Malapanes, Kiss the Sky co-owner Steve Warrenfeltz encouraged fans to show up early if they want to snag some exclusive Record Store Day releases.

“We don’t know how much we’ll get of those items, and they tend to go very quickly,” he said.

Warrenfeltz said Record Store Day has grown steadily each year, something he attributes in part to a renewed interest in vinyl LPs.

Malapanes agreed. When he started Algonquin Records, the vinyl LP was king. Since then cassette tapes and compact discs had their days in the sun, followed by the recent explosion of digital downloading.

Six or seven years ago, the digital revolution made Malapanes worried about the future of his business, but then vinyl re-emerged.

“It’s really amazing,” he said. “And it’s not just old-timers who are buying it, it’s young people, college kids. Personally, I’ve always thought vinyl sounds better, but I think kids also like the physical package, the liner notes and artwork and everything else.

“I’m doing better now than I was just half a dozen years ago.”

Malapanes has cut back his time at the store while taking care of a sick relative. The store is open Mondays and Saturdays only right now, but Malapanes hopes to get back to full-time hours later in the spring.

“It’s a great business to be in, and like I said, it seems like people of all ages are rediscovering record stores,” he said. “Those who haven’t, well, Record Store Day is a great time to see what you’ve been missing.”