Your Curated Guide to Record Store Day 2018 in Chicago!

We're in the latter half of April, so get read for vinyl lover's favorite holiday: Record Store Day! The worldwide event, which always takes place on the third Saturday in April, brings record store staff, customers, and artists together for a day of vinyl goodness! RSD means a plethora of exclusive releases, giveaways, and in store performances to celebrate the music community. This is the 11th Record Store Day and anything that's run this long is sure to have experienced its ups and downs.  The criticisms of the day are valid: costly vinyl that doesn't necessarily need to be repressed, flippers wangling up all the in demand stuff to resell at even more exorbitant prices. But you don't have to succumb to the negativity. RSD is meant to celebrate the music community, the sounds they create, and the wax it's eventually pressed on. While you're lined up waiting to pick out your vinyl treasures, strike up a conversation with the people around you and start developing that sense of community that RSD strives to achieve! Listed below are some of the great stores that will be joining the Record Store Day fun on Saturday, April 21st. The first batch are shops and venues that are celebrating the vinyl holiday in their own way. You may not find the exclusive Record Store Day releases, but you will undoubtedly have a great time! The second grouping of stores are the officially pledged shops that will be raising their RSD flag high! Check out some great bands and DJs, have a few drinks, and of course pick up some vinyl! We will be updating the list throughout the week as stores officially announce their plans. You can see the full list Illinois stores at the RSD website. RSD ADJACENT! Bob's Blues & Jazz Mart - 3419 W Irving Park Road - 773-539-5002 Jazz and Blues will be celebrated at Bob's Blues & Jazz Mart from 10:30am to 6:30pm with shiny new shirts from Delmark Records and Bob's Blues & Jazz Mart, new releases from Delmarkm, a 25% off CD sale and an in-store performance by Lurrie Bell at 1pm! Bloodshot Records - 3039 W Irving Park Road - @BSHQ This year Bloodshot's Chicago HQ storefront pop-up shop will be open between noon and 6pm to act as an oasis in the RSD chaos! This will be the spot to relax and enjoy some free refreshments and maybe even some snacks in-between your RSD stops. Bloodshot will have some unique items including test pressings, signed items, out-of-print albums, their regular releases, and more. So sit back and enjoy some Dark Matter coffee AND pizza from Tano's Pizzeria after all the RSD madness. Hyde Park Records – 1377 E. 53rd St. – 773-288-6588 – @hydprkrcrds It’s the Soul Reunion at Hyde Park Records. It starts at Noon and goes till 8:00pm, so you have a whole day a dancing and music thanks to the DJs from WGFMradio.com incluing PJ Willis, Unkle Ray, Gar T TP Corleone, Hampton, TC Coleman, Mighty Quinn, & Don Clark. Logan Hardware – 2532 W Fullerton Ave – 773-235-5030 – @loganhardware Logan Hardware will open at Noon and will have plenty of old school DJ vibes for RSD! Numero Group Pop Up @ Comfort Station - 2579 N Milwaukee Ave - @numerogroup Numero Group will be continuing their Record Store Day tradition by taking over Logan Square’s Comfort Station for a pop up shop! Starting at 10am, the amazing record label will be selling records their catalog and some rarities and oddities that likely won't be sold again! Honestly, this is a great way to diversify you collection with some lost and hidden gems. Oak Park Records - 179 S Oak Park Ave. - 708-524-2880 Oak Park Records will not have any RSD exclusives, but their racks will be packed with Records, CDs, DVD/BLU RAY, Cassettes, 45s and new T-shirts. They'll have plenty of deals including 10% off new records and 20% off used vinyl! Plus free homemade cookies and bottled water. Pilsen Vintage Records - 1430 W 18th St. - 312-243-5915 Enjoy Record Store Day with Pilsen Vintage Records and receive free goodies, 10% off on vinyl records and an amazing line up of Chicas Poderosas Djing at the store! It all goeas down from 2:00pm -8:00pm with open turntables after 6:00pm. Purple Llama - 2140 W Division St. - @ride_the_llama Purple Llama will be celebrating their first year in business on Record Store Day! Although they won't have any of the exclusive releases, they will have fantastic local bands Ovef Ow (1:00pm) and Health&Beauty (2:00pm)! Bring along your RSD receipt (dated 4/21) from any local shop to receive a 10% discount on their well curated list of releases and $1 small drip coffee or espresso! Shady Rest Vintage & Vinyl - 1659 S. Throop - 872-444-6488 This awesome little shop on the corner of Throop and 18th St. will be joining the RSD celebration from 10am to 8pm with $2 budget records and tons of discounts including  15% off vintage headphones and books & 20% off audio gear! They will also have some free snacks like pan dulce from Panaderia el Acambaro, coffee from La Catrina Cafe, and beer from Argus and Half Acre! Tack Room - 107 S Allport St. - @tackroom Tack Room will be collaborating with Dogfish Head and their neighbors 606 Records for a fun day of live bands, DJ sets, and excellent giveaways (Dogfish Head merch, a record player, an ultra-exclusive beer-infused Flaming Lips LP, and more!)! The Alley Chicago - 3221 North Clark St. - @TheAlleyChicago The brand new Alley will be joining in on the RSD fun with their official, bonafide, grand opening! From 1pm - 4pm there will be free waffle pops, pizza, and coffee plus a chance to win some cool stuff like a leather jacket or a limited edition t-shirt! The Music Experience – 1959 1/2 E 73rd St – 773-493-0154 The Music Experience will be having a sale of 15% off all stock in store! RSD PLEDGED STORES 4ASongVinyl - 1045 Burlington Avenue Suite 6, Lisle - 630-442-7985 4ASongVinyl will be handing out numbered wristbands at 6:00am to keep the line fair when they start selling RSD exclusives at 10:00am! Before that they will be offering coffee and sweets, Blues Brothers photo ops, and a jukebox playing tunes starting at 8:00pm. Check out everything they have planned on their website! 606 Records - 1808 S. Allport - 312-585-6108 - @606records 606 Records will open at 10am and will celebrate the day with DJ sets by local Chicago independent label heads! There will be plenty of beer and swag provided by Dogfish Head and ticket giveaways courtesy of Jam Productions, Ltd! There will also be DJ sets all day long! 606 Records will also be collaborating with Tack Room (as noted in the RSD alternatives) directly across the street for additional raffles, live music, and the lead singer of Waxahatchee, Katie Crutchfield, will be record shopping at 606 Records and DJ'ing with her RSD selections in Tack Room from 3:00-4:00pm! Algonquin Records - 532 E Algonquin Rd, Des Plaines, IL - (847) 827-0673 Algonquin Records will open their doors to the RSD crowd at 10:30am. Audio Archaeology  - 1324 W Devon Ave. - 773-856-3472 Audio Archaeology will be open from 8am to 8pm for RSD goodness. They will pass out numbers to keep the line fair. Giveaways, prizes and photo opportunities with the store cat, Detective Mittens, will also be available. Beverly Records - 11612 S. Western Ave. - 773-779-0066 - @BeverlyRecords Beverly Records will be enjoying RSD as usual with some great exclusive releases and some pretty fun White Sox inspired tees! They'll be 19.99 on RSD or free with $100 purchase! Awesome RSD poster by Hayley Grimes Bric-A-Brac Records & Collectibles - 3156 W Diversey Ave - 773-654-3915 - @bricabracrcords Bric-A-Brac will start things up at 8am to take part in the consumer frenzy! Bands will be playing all afternoon as usual tarting at 2:00pm and they'll have some tasty treats like free coffee & donuts. Bric-A-Brac will be partnering with their awesome neighbors Lost Lake, who will be opening at noon, hosting live DJs all day, and offering drink specials! Bands at BaB will include: Bucket O' Blood Books and Records - 3182 N Elston Ave. - 312.890.3860 - @bucketoblood Bucket O' Blood, which will open at 10am, usually turns their RSD into an awesome themed party and this year is no different. The RSD Prehistoric Time Pary will feature themed drinks that will keep things festivities going throughout the day. Come dressed in your finest cheetah print or loin cloth and celebrate! Check their event page for more info! Afterwards, head to DMen Tap to bask in the afterglow of RSD by bringing in your receipt from Bucket O'Blood for 20% off food. Cheap Kiss Records - 22 S. Villa Ave. Villa Park, IL - 847-414-9765 Cheap Kiss Records will open up at 9:00am for your RSD needs! They will also have a 10% off deal on all used records! Poster by Nathan Tolzmann Dave's Records - 2604 N. Clark St. - 773-929-6325 - @davesrecordschi Dave's will open up around 11, but he usually opens up quite earlier than the usual announced time, making for a nice long line. Previous years, the first people in line arrived at 10pm the evening before RSD. So arrive early, get one of the exclusive posters that the store gets made for RSD, and don't forget Dave's Rules of the Road. Dusty Groove Records - 1120 N. Ashland Ave. - 773-342-5800 - @DustyGroove Dusty Groove's Record Store Day will run from 8am to 9pm and feature some magic in the afternoon, giveaways, refreshments and a chance to spin the wheel of fortune with every purchase. They will also have live magic in the early afternoon! Gramaphone Records - 2843 N. Clark St. - 773-472-3683 @gramaphonechi Gramaphone will be celebrating vinyl with local labels, artists, and more. They will also be partying from Noon to 8:00pm with the following lineup of DJs: Groovin' High - 1047 W. Belmont Ave. - 773-476-6846 The one time of year that Groovin' High is definitely open is on Record Store Day, so don't miss out on this pretty great shop. Joyride Records- 1914 W. Chicago Ave. - 773-278-1744 - @joyriderecs Permanent Records is no longer with us in Chicago, but fret not! Joyride Records will be celebrating its first Record Store Day starting at 9:00am in the spot that once held the Chicago mainstay with some awesome RSD releases and in-store performances! So help Joyride Record establish its own legacy with this RSD and a BYOB party starting at 4:00pm featuring: Kiss the Sky Records - 180 First St., Batavia, Illinois, IL - (630) 406-0086 This year, Kiss the Sky Records is very optimistic about the RSD releases! They will start selling at 8:00am for Record Store Day, but their is a chance that one of the owners will arrive early and let people in from the cold! Although there won't be a full day of instore performance (yet, plans may change), they will have Edward David Anderson gracing the stage for what should end up being a grand affair. Laurie's Planet of Sound - 4639 N. Lincoln Ave. - 773-271-3569 - @lauriespos Laurie's Planet of Sound will get their RSD started at 9am and will have a full schedule of musical performers. Mile Long Records - 350 W. Front Street, Wheaton -  630-474-4954 - @mile_long Mile Long Records will be opening its doors to the Record Store Day masses at 10am! Music Masters Worldwide - 5230 Main St., Downers Grove -  630-663-1137 - @MusicMastersDG Music Masters Worldwide kicking off Record Store Day at 8am! Pinwheel Records - 1722 W. 18th St. - @PinwheelRecords Pinwheel Records will open their doors at 10am for another RSD and it will be a big one with plenty of vinyl, snacks like cookies & brownies from Scott's mom, a raffle with sweet prizes, and a mind blowing lineup of live music all day long! Music starts at 2:00pm and the order isn't set yet, so keep an eye on their event page or updates! Purple Dog Records - 329 N Center St., Naperville - @PurpleDogRecord This year Purple Dog Records will be focusing on the vinyl and have ordered a ton of RSD titles for you to look through and purchase! There will also be with free tote bags and posters with purchase. Raffe’s Record Riot – 4350 N. Cicero – 773-725-1327 – @RaffesRecrdRiot Raffe’s Record Riot will open up at 10am with plenty of RSD exclusives. Reckless Records - (Various) - @RecklessRecords The Loop and Lakeview Reckless locations will open at their usual time 10am for Record Store Day, while the Wicker Park shop will open at 8am! 26 E. Madison
  • No instore performances, just lots and lots of vinyl
1379 N Milwaukee Ave.
  • 2:30pm -Mukqs (member of Good Willsmith)
  • 4:00pm -  RLYR (members of Pelican, Locrian & Russian Circles)
  • Secret Mystery Band, stay tuned
3126 N. Broadway
  • 2:00pm - Intentionally Left Banke (Left Banke covers from Reckless' annual RSD house cover band)
  • 3:30pm - Bil Vermette (Chicago area synth legend)
Record Breakers - 2935 N. Milwaukee Ave. - (773) 698-8387 - @recordbrckrsCHI RSD at Record Breakers will be begin at 8am with tons of vinyl and live music! You can check out the lineup and set times below. Record Wonderland - 737 E. Nerge Road - 847-306-1290 - @recordwonder Record Wonderland will open at 8am with all their RSD exclusives in tow! Rediscover Records - 9 S. Spring Street, Elgin - 847-961-8445 Rediscover Records will open bright and early at 8am for RSD! They will be providing complimentary sodas, water, and snack including coffee from Blue Box Cafe and something sweet from Herbs Bakery. They will also have live grooves this year will be Tanner and Brandon from W.C. & the Fam performing tunes from their recent release at 2:00pm! Shuga Records - 1272 N. Milwaukee Ave. - @Shuga_Records Opening at 8am, Shuga will be getting down with RSD the best way they know how! There will be some free coffee, free doughnuts, giveaways from Lagunitas Brewing Co + Emporium Arcade Bar Venue, and a nice lineup of live music. Oh, and plenty of RSD titles for you to buy! Live Instore performances include Squeezebox Books and Music - 1235 Chicago Ave., Evanston - 847-943-9309 Squeezebox will be opening at 10am on RSD, but they will have a sale that starts Friday with 20% off new and used vinyl/CDs. The discount only applies to non-RSD titles. The Old School Record Store - 7446 Madison St Forest Park, Illinois, IL - 708-366-7588 The Old School Record Store opens at 10am for all your RSD needs! Val's Halla Records - 239 Harrison St, Oak Park - 708-524-1004 - @ValshallaRecord Val's Halla Records will open at 9am with a day full of vinyl, storewide sales, free donuts and coffee,  and great in store performances. Musical performances will be curated by Gino Sigismondi!
  • 11:00am - Farewell Captain
  • Noon - Two Guitars and a Tuba
  • 1:00pm - Matt Lenny and Elm City Council
  • 2:00pm - Ginger
  • 3:00pm - The Frantastic Sound System
  • 4:00pm- Gino & Friends Jam
Vintage Vinyl - 925 Davis St., Evanston - 847-328-2899 - @VVMOEvanston Vintage Vinyl will open up their shop at 11am for all you RSD needs! White Wolf Sonic Princess will be playing from 11am to Noon! Wild Praire Vinyl & Vintage- 1109 N. Western Ave - 773-580-7946 Wild Praire will be open from 11am to 8pm for RSD and will have RSD exclusives, free beer courtesy of Half Acre Beer and lots of music! Enjoy some awesome DJ sets from this awesome lineup:
  • Tone B. Nimble
  • Shazam Bangles
  • Zulu Henry
  • King Hippo
  • Sadposr
  • Jordan Zawideh
  • Twelve Gage
  • Joseph Memory
#4ASongVinyl#606 Records#Algonquin Records#Audio Archaeology#Beverly Records#Bloodshot Records#Bric-A-Brac Records#Bucket O' Blood Books and Records#Cheap Kiss Records#Comfort Station
Julian Ramirez