Freebies, sales promote first Record Store Day

Dust off the turntable and kick out the jams -- it's Record Store Day and the suburbs are celebrating.

All day today, independently owned record stores -- from Mount Prospect to McHenry, from Westmont to Geneva -- are joining a national movement geared toward helping those retailers who have survived slumping music sales.

For shoppers, that means plenty of storewide discounts, buy-some get-some deals, free concerts and giveaways. For owners, it's a chance to band together and do what they do best: sell music.

"The concept's great," said Mark Paradise, owner of Sunshine Daydream in Mount Prospect. "If we go out of business -- and I say this as a fan of music -- the only thing left is Best Buy or Wal-Mart."

This is the first year for Record Store Day, a movement involving media retailers across the country. Regionally, there are few stores that don't plan to get involved.

Kiss the Sky records at 301 W. State St. in Geneva is giving away loads of free stuff, including vinyl albums, CDs and stickers, while cutting turntable prices by 20 percent for the day. Owner Steve Warrenfeltz said CD sales are down about 5 percent, but vinyl sales are stronger than they have been in years.

"People are getting a little tired of the pristine, vanilla sound of digital music," he said. "The vinyl business has really taken a significant turn for the positive in the last year and a half, and we're really starting to amp up our focus on it."

At Sunshine Daydream, 2027 E. Euclid Ave., customers who buy one CD, DVD or record get a free goodie bag of merchandise such as stickers, promotional discs and albums. Paradise has expanded his vinyl selection -- partly by digging into his own collection -- in anticipation of today. There also will be 10- to 30-percent discounts on various other items, he said.

In McHenry, Vinyl Frontier at 1326 N. Riverside Drive is offering a buy-three-get-one-free deal on all CDs.

In Chicago, Record Breakers, which recently moved from Hoffman Estates to 2105 S. State St., will give away free hot dogs and soft drinks and cut prices storewide by 20 percent. Owner Robby Glick said 18 bands also will be performing live at the store throughout the day, with a three-band concert planned for later in the evening at his attached rock club, Reggies.

Remember When Records at 309 W. Ogden Ave. in Westmont is taking 10 percent off all prices in its two-floor shop of used and new records, CDs, movies and related merchandise. Owner Hank Shurba said he too has noticed a spike in vinyl sales over the last year, as well as a "big resurgence" in the demand for reissued classics.

"The young kids are buying the albums, the older people are buying CDs," he said. "It's like we've come full circle."

More information about Record Store Day is available at www.recordstoreday.com.