While it may feel a little early, make no mistake, record collectors' most divisive holiday is here! Record Store Day this Saturday, April 12, is the time where record shops take advantage of a full day to celebrate the hobby of listening to music on physical media with tons of exclusive releases, live bands, and more freebies than you know what to do with!
Now you may have noticed I did call the day divisive. Record Store Day is not without its criticism, specifically because of the ever-rising cost of these "exclusive" records, albums that don't necessarily need to be repressed, flippers picking up all the rarest goodies to resell at even more ridiculous prices, etc.
However, there is no denying that Record Store Day has some pretty good aspects despite the bad. The day is meant to bring music lovers together and support these amzing local shops by curating a sizable list of exclusive releases to help celebrate the music community. Add all the free live shows happening inside the shops themselves and the sales going on in many of the stores—it's a perfect way to support these wax purveyors. Usually RSD is the biggest sales day of the year for these shops (usually...) so it's become an integral part of the vinyl economy.
You can check out the list of releases at the RSD website! Below is a list of stores taking part in RSD this Saturday April 12 as well as some stores that are not. RSD doesn't necessarily make sense for every record store given its prohibitive costs, but that doesn't mean these stores should be ignored. Saturday is a day to support all record stores regardless of their affiliation to RSD. And if you don't feel comfortable going out, most will have an online facet to purchase regular releases and RSD releases at a later time. You can see the slightly fuller list of Illinois stores at the RSD website. We also mapped out the shops on Google Maps, so take a look at your neighborhood, click on your local record shop's marker, and see what they're doing for this first RSD Drop!
This list will be updated throughout the next couple days as stores post their RSD news. If there are any stores missing or that should be noted, send us an email at julian@thirdcoastreview.com and we'll add them to the list!
Now let's get to the Record Store list!
CHICAGO RSD-PLEDGED STORES & BEYOND
606 Records - 1808 S. Allport - 312-585-6108 - @606records
606 Records will have tons of RSD titles starting at 10am till 7pm with FREE coffee from Dark Matter Coffee! Then from 11am to 3pm, La Lom will be at Tack Room doing a listening party and signing their RSD release Live at Thalia Hall! Purchasing a copy of the release at 606 Records gets you access to the fantastic event! Check out their socials for more details and updates!
Beverly Phono Mart - 1808 W. 103rd st. - 773-629-6089
Beverly Phono Mart will be celebrating RSD with a shop chock full of great records ready for you!
Beverly Records - 11612 S. Western Ave. - 773-779-0066 - @BeverlyRecords
Beverly Records will open at 8am for exclusive releases—first-come, first-served, one per customer. Plus, enjoy 20% off used vinyl all weekend! Check out their inventory list here!
Bob's Blues & Jazz Mart- 3419 W Irving Park Road - 773-539-5002
The amazing owner of Bob's Blues & Jazz Mart, Bob Koester, died in 2021, leaving behind a beautiful musical legacy that continues to grow. They will have some RSD jazz and blues exclusives alongside their usual treasure trove of records and CDs. Today is a perfect day to support the Chicago staple.
Bric-A-Brac Records & Collectibles - 3156 W Diversey Ave - 773-654-3915 - @bricabracrcords
Bric-a-Brac will be opening up at 8am (The Brewed opens at 7) for the RSD festivities with plenty of records and will have bands playing throughout the day including Twilight Furniture (2pm) Magic by Merlin Brando (3pm) Faerie Dream (4pm) Cocojoey (5pm) and The Lipschitz (6pm).
Bucket O' Blood Books and Records - 3182 N Elston Ave. - 312-890-3860 - @bucketoblood
Bucket O' Blood usually has some great RSD festivities, so be sure to check out their socials for any updates!
Dusty Groove Records - 1120 N. Ashland Ave. - 773-342-5800 - @DustyGroove
Dusty Groove's Record Store Day will run from 7am to 7pm. Check out their guidelines on how to purchase your RSD exclusives here! They'll be limiting the number of people allowed in the store, so you'll fill out a form of what records you'd like and they'll pull them out and hand them out. Free gifts and swag with every purchase! Get there bright and early for free coffee from Dark Matter, free donut holes, free toys for the kiddos, and a free spin on the Wheel of Fortune!! Titles that do not sell out on-site between 7am and noon will be available online the following morning.
- 1524 N. Milwaukee Avenue - 773-252-9570
- 935 W. Belmont - 773-883-8908
The Exchange is an RSD-pledged store and they usually have a few releases in store!
Gramaphone Records - 2843 N. Clark St. - 773-472-3683 @gramaphonerecords
Gramaphone will be doing a lot this RSD with an in-store DJ sets from DJ Slugo,
Traxman,
Rebecca Goldberg,
Torrfisk
, Coolmiles & The A.D.H.D.I.S.C.O
, and Bai-ee! Plus get 10% off all purchases!
Graveface Records And Curiosities - 1829 N. Milwaukee Ave. - @graveface_chicago
Graveface Records returned to Chicago a couple years ago and it's been fantastic. It's a fantastically curated shop with tons of records, tiki paraphernalia, and fun horror-related items! Plus there's a True Crime Museum in the back! So keep an eye on their socials for any RSD updates! Also check out their video rental/pop up shop Terror Vision (3729 N Southport), which is also a fantastic soundtrack label!
Groovin' High - 1047 W. Belmont Ave. - 773-476-6846
Groovin' High doesn't have the most consistent schedule throughout the year (read: they're almost always closed), but they usually open up for RSD! It's the perfect time to browse their extensive inventory and chat with one of the cooler and knowledgeable record store owners around!
Hyde Park Records - 1377 E 53rd St - 773-288-6588
With an extensive selection of Jazz, Blues, Soul and Gospel, Hyde Park Records is a great stop for your record store day celebration!
Interstellar Space Records - 2022 W Montrose Ave - @_interstellarspace_
Interstellar Space is a really fun and well curated record store for your RSD plans!
Laurie's Planet of Sound - 4639 N. Lincoln Ave. - 773-271-3569 - @lauriesplanetofsound
Laurie's Planet of Sound is always a fantastic stop on RSD as they usually have a great selection of exclusives and have a wonderful selection of non RSD title all year round! Support this Chicago record store staple!
Loud Pizza Record - 1357 North Elston Ave. Suite 150 - @loudpizzarecords
Records and collectibles reign supreme at Loud Pizza Records! They will have RSD releases on hand but by appointment only before 5pm, so make sure to stop by this cool looking shop!
Meteor Gem - 3082 N Elston Ave STE A - @meteor_gem
Need some unique alternative and extreme sounds for your RSD pickups? Look no further than Meteor Gem! A Great stop with something a little different than most shops!
Miyagi Records - 307 E Garfield Blvd - @miyagirecords
Miyagi Records is celebrating their two year birthday! Get 15% off EVERYTHING and 50% off $5 records, books, takes, and CDs! They'll a;so have infused products from Mutha Earth, brews form Marz, and coffee from Homecourt Collective!
Morpho Gallery Records and Art - 5216 N Damen Ave - @DavesClassicAndRareLPs
Stop by this fun Gallery and records store on RSD! They are typically open Friday and Saturday from 1-5pm, so don't let it slip by you!
Orbit Records - 7155 W Grand - 773-771-4528 - @orbitrecords1900
Orbit Records hasn't officially announced their RSD Plans yet but they usually have a great selection of exclusives!
Out of the Past Records - 4407 W Madison St - 773-626-3878
Do a little crate digging at this old school, family-owned record store! They'll be open at 9am on RSD and will have a blowout record sale!
Pinwheel Records - 1722 W. 18th St. - 312-888-9629 - @PinwheelRecords
Pinwheel Records will be opening their doors to the public on Saturday at 9am! There will be coffee from Back to the GRind, beers and NA offerings by Whiner Beer Co, baked goods fomr Scott's Mom, and live music from the likes of Half Gringa and Apiares!
Rattleback Records - 5405 N Clark Street - 773-944-0188 - @rattlebackrecords
Rattleback Records will open from 9am to 8 pm for all your RSD needs! You can check out what titles they'll have on hand here! Plus there will be some live music with Estate Sale at 2pm and Naked Brunch at 7pm!
- Loop - 26 E. Madison - 312-795-0878 - @RecklessRecords
- Wicker Park- 1379 N Milwaukee Ave. - 773-235-372 - @RecklessRecords
- Lakeview - 929 W Belmont - 773-404-5080 - @RecklessRecords
Reckless will have RSD releases at their store, so keep an eye on their social media (Facebook, and especially Instagram) as they finalize the details!
Record Breakers - 2935 N. Milwaukee Ave. - (773) 698-8387 - @recordbreakerschicago
RSD at Record Breakers is starting at 8am! They'll have tons of special RSD releases and thousands of new and used records for you to look through and buy to help support this great shop! They'll have live music starting at Noon with Garret Frank, D Jean-Baptiste, Joe Glass band, and TV Buddha!!
Record Dugout & Comics - 6835 W Archer Ave - 773-586-1206
Record Dugout & Comics won't have RSD items, but their used selection is incredible!
Round Trip Records - 3455 W Foster. - 773-654-3092 - @roundtriprecordschicago
Round Trip Records is opening at NOON for your RSD needs and will be putting hundreds of new and used records out. All used vinyl will be 10% off. They’ll have complimentry coffee and donuts for customers.
Shady Rest Vintage & Vinyl - 1659 S. Throop - 872-444-6488
Shady Rest Vintage and Vinyl has a ton of great audio equipment and a well curated record selection, highly recommend to make this a stop for your Record Store Day!
Shuga Records - 1272 N. Milwaukee Ave. & 3306 W Armitage Ave- @ShugaRecords
Shuga will be open 10am -7pm for RSD with tons of exclusive records, an awesome RSD shirt, and free coffee from Dark Matter Coffee while supplies last! They'll also have some in-store performances going on so check their socials and website for updates on the big day!
Signal Records - 3156 W Diversey & 1343 N. Ashland - @signalrecordschicago
If you need another great record store for your RSD plans, Signal Records has a fantastic selection of records! If you need another great record store for your RSD plans, Signal Records has a fantastic selection of records! They wont have any exclusives, but they will have a massive 20% sale and DJs at each location!
Tone Deaf Records - 4356 N Milwaukee Ave. - 773-372-6643 - @tonedeafrecs
Tone Deaf Records will be opening at 9am with plenty of RSD titles for you!
CHICAGOLAND RSD-PLEDGED STORES & BEYOND
Algonquin Records - 532 E Algonquin Rd, Des Plaines - 847-827-0673
Algonquin Records will be opening at 10:30am for all your RSD needs!
Andy's Records - 16 N. Whitney St., Grayslake - 224-252-2167 - @andys.records
Andy's Records is celebrating their birthday on RSD and they'll have some special stuff going on so make sure to stop by!
Audiophil - 76 N Chicago St. Joliet - 815-319-2143 - @AudiophilS
Audiophil is opening up at Noon for all your RSD exclusives!
B-Side Record Store - 114 Stephen Street, Lemont, IL -
Support B-Side Record Store this RSD and pick up some great vinyl!
Black Dog Vinyl Cafe - 16108 Illinois Rte 59, Plainfield - 815-733-6032
Black Dog Vinyl Cafe will have some RSD exclusives ready for you!
Blue Village Vinyl - 29 E Chicago Ave., Westmont - 630-963-1957
Blue Village Vinyl will have plenty of RSD exclusives when they open at 10am this Saturday! Plus they have plenty of fun stuff goign on like Max Cherry will be playing tunes at 11am, Kit O’Toole will be signing her book Songs We Were Singing, a special appearance by Pete Kastanes from Vanished Chicagoland and a WXRT Vinyl Scavenger Hunt to raise money for charity!
CD Source - 5704 N 2nd St, Loves Park - 815-904-6611 - Facebook
Good spot if you're looking for used records and audio equipment!
Cheap Kiss Records - 22 S. Villa Ave., Villa Park - 847-414-9765
Cheap Kiss Records will open up at 8am for RSD! Check back on their Facebook page for more updates!
Conservatory Vintage & Vinyl - 1042 Sterling Ave. Flossmoor - 708-960-0231
Conservatory Vintage & Vinyl will be opening up at 9am with some exclusive RSD titles on hand! They will have free donuts in store while supplies last! They will also have some incredible DJS throughout the day including Zsa Zsa, Paul Daniels, Bullit, Dion Bracken, and L Genius! This is a seriously great shop and a must go spot for RSD or any day you need to do some digging!
Controlled Chaos - 639 East Boughton Road STE 145 Bolingbrook, IL -630-429-4559 @controlledchaosvintage
Controlled Chaos is a nice stop for all your record and vintage needs! They will open up at 8am (giving out numbers to those that have lined but well beforehand) and have tons of exclusive titles, giveaways, free coffee and donuts, face painting, and live music starting at 3pm! Artists will include Tristan & Isaac @rhinestonegeedorah, Alice Louise @artificial.energys, Sasha Ilvarova (@babyteethformilla), Sulkworm (@sulkwormstagram), Accordion Mike, and Gelatinous Cube And The Ambiguous Wrecks @gcxaw.chi!
Crooked Arm Vinyl & Tap - 6450 College Road, Lisle - @crookedarmlisle
Crooked Arm Vinyl & Tap is back with another fantastic RSD! Check out their video preview of wht they are planning for RSD weekend! They will also be participating in the Naper Settlement Naper Nights record hunt!
Culture Shock - 2239 Charles St., Rockford - 815-229-2997 - @cultureshock_
Culture Shock will be opening their doors this Saturday at 8am with tons of RSD goodies and sales! RSD titles will be limited to one copy per person. There will be plenty of deals including buy one get one half off all used vinyl, CD’s, cassettes, movies, and also clothing & shirts; 50% OFF select new vinyl; special color coded vinyl on sale for $5; and tables of $1 records and CDs!
Elmhurst Records/Revolution Music Co. - 107 N Addison Ave Elmhurst IL - @elmhurstrecords
Revolution Music Co Records will have plenty of RSD exclusives ready for you starting at 10am! Plus there will be live music from DJ Blast, Ian Traverse DJ Shank!, Adamine, DJ Cenzo!
Green Tangerine Records - 838 W. Lincoln Hwy. DeKalb - 608-751-8386
Green Tangerine Records will open their doors for RSD at 10am!
Hip Cat Records - 3540 Lake Ave, Wilmette - 847-920-0066
A nice stop for some vintage finds!
Hoarders Records & More - 1301 E Main St St. Charles - Facebook
An excellent spot if your looking for used vinyl to fill up your collection!
Kiss The Sky - 180 First St Batavia
Kiss The Sky is doing something a little different for their RSD! They will also be participating in the Naper Settlement Naper Nights record hunt
Left 'Round Records - 244.3 W Lockport St. #118 Plainfield, IL - 815-556-8109 - @leftroundrecords
Left 'Round Records will open at 7am have TONS of RSD releases! Check out what they'll on their website! They will also be participating in the Naper Settlement Naper Nights record hunt
Mile Long Records- 350 W. Front Street, Wheaton - 630-474-4954 - @mile_long
Mile Long Records will have RSD titles in their store ready to go when their doors open at 9am. They'll be handing out numbered wristbands at Midnight, so get ready for a fun RSD!
Mudroom Records - 494 N Main St., Glen Ellyn - @mudroomrecordsge
Head out and support this woman-owned record store!
Oak Park Records - 179 S Oak Park Ave., Oak Park - 708-524-2880
Oak Park Records doesn't typically partake in the official RSD exclusives,sometimes they have a small stack of the, but they a;ways have plenty of fantastic records at their shop! Check the shop's socials and check back for more updates!
The Old School Record Store- 7446 Madison St., Forest Park - 708-366-7588
The Old School Record Store opens at 10am for all your RSD needs!
Paul Rose Boutique - 16030 S Lincoln Highway, 105, Plainfield - @paulroseboutique
Head to Paul Rose Boutique for some great vinyl, vintage jewelry, and boutique clothing! They will open at 10am for all your RSD needs! They will also be participating in the Naper Settlement Naper Nights record hunt
Purple Dog Records - 231 S. Washington St. #105, Naperville - @PurpleDogRecords
Purple Dog Records will have some great titles for RSD! Keep an eye on their socials for updates! They will also be participating in the Naper Settlement Naper Nights record hunt
Record Wonderland - 737 E. Nerge Road, Roselle - 847-306-1290 - @recordwonderland
Record Wonderland will open at 8am and will be handing out numbers starting a little before 6am. They will also have a 20% off used media sale .
Rediscover Records- 9 S. Spring Street, Elgin - 847-961-8445
Rediscover Records will be opening at 8am this Saturday! As per RSD rules, no holds or preorders. There will be a limit of one item of each title per person.
Reef Records LLC - 775 Main St, Antioch & 821 Rand Road, Lakemoor- 224-788-5066
Reef Records will open at 7am for your RSD needs! They will have plenty of free swag and goodies bags available. They will also be conducting their yearly raffle with great prizes! Check their Facebook for more details!
The Rock Shop - 18109 Dixie Hwy Homewood - 708-960-4053
A very cool shop with records, books, guitars, jewelry and apothecary fun!
Rolling Stones Music - 7300 W Irving Park Rd, Norridge - 708-456-0861
Rolling Stones Music will be opening at 9AM and closing at 9PM. As always, RSD items are first come first served, are limited to one copy per customer.
Scratched Vinyl - 119 Barrington Commons Court, Barrington - 847-809-5820
Scratched Vinyl will be opening at 9am to let in all the RSD fans in and grab their records!Larry Rosenbaum will be onsite from 2-3pm to sign copies of his book The Flip Side: Where Chicago Rocked.
Siren Records - 3902 Main St., McHenry - 815-347-8363
Siren Records will be closed April 5-11 but will open their doors to the RSD crowds on Saturday at 7am! They'll also post a video of what they'll have on Friday so check their Facebook then!
Squeezebox Books and Music - 1235 Chicago Ave., Evanston - 847-943-9309 - @SqueezeboxBooks
Squeezebox will be opening at 10am for all you RSD needs! They will be trivia, costumes and some Out of Space ticket Giveaways!
Superjumbo - 102 E Galena Blvd Aurora, IL - 630-312-0559
Superjumbo will be opening up at 9am for all your RSD needs! They will hand out numbers at 8am.
Toad Hall Books and Records- 2106 Broadway, Rockford - 815-226-1259
Toad Hall Books and Records will be dishing out some excellent RSD titles this Saturday starting at 8am! Ontop of the exclusives they'll also have 33% off regular priced used vinyl, 20% off CDs and DVDs, Vinyl Grab Bags, clearance new vinyl, and more! Check out their YouTube channel for some great RSD unboxings !
Val's Halla Records - 239 Harrison St, Oak Park - 708-524-1004 - @ValshallaRecord
Val's Halla Records will be opening up at 8am for RSD goodness! They'll be having a BIG SALE including 20% off ALL USED VINYL, deep discounts on previous RSD titles, a bin of 5 for $1 CDs, and all other CDs (new and used) are BUY 5, GET 5 FREE. There will be live perfromances from Eddy Green / Dave Mendez, The Sum, Anxiety Patrol, Nice, and Frantastic Sound System. All that and Larry Rosenbaum will be onsite from 11-12:30 to sign copies of his book The Flip Side: Where Chicago Rocked. It's a perfect encapsulation of what Record Store day is all about!
Vintage Vinyl - 925 Davis St., Evanston - 847-328-2899 - @VVMOEvanston
Vintage Vinyl hasn't announced their plans for this year just yet, but they are a fantastic stop for your RSD schedule!
Vinyl and Vintage - 123 N Main Street, Elburn - 630-542-8876
Spend sometime digging through some vinyl at this shop in Elburn!
Vinyl Frontier Records - 4720 W Elm St., McHenry
While Record Store Day is a great excuse to buy some exclusive records, it just doesn't make sense for every store. Vinyl Frontier records did not participate in RSD the last couple years, but they definitely should be a stop on your Record Store Day celebration! Support this great shop!
We Buy Records - 10233 Roosevelt Rd, Westchester, IL - 312-500-4546
We Buy Records specialized in used vinyl, so head out and see what they have or maybe sell a few of your own collection to them!
Windy City Records - 5224 Main St., Downer Grove - 630-534-2794
Windy City Records just listed what they'll have on hand! Head out and get all your RSD exclusives!
This list will be updated throughout the day as stores post their RSD news. If they are any stores missing or that should be noted, leave a comment and we'll add them to the list!