Record Store Day in SWFL: What to expect and where to go

Writer: Matias Abril
Published: Updated:
Record Store Day
Stellar Records. CREDIT: Liz Cochran

Get ready for exclusive vinyl and free stuff. Record Store Day is just around the corner.

This music-centric holiday is an occasion to celebrate local music businesses and to be able to grab exclusive, one-of-a-kind records.

April 20th will mark the event’s 17th birthday.

How is Southwest Florida celebrating, you may ask?

records
Mandatory Credit: Photo by Stephen Chung/LNP/Shutterstock (10759310e) Customers browse at Sister Ray Records. Analogue music fans visit independent record shops in Soho to celebrate vinyl music on the rescheduled 13th Record Store Day, originally planned for April, but postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Over 200 independent record shops across the UK come together annually to celebrate the unique culture of analogue music with special vinyl releases made exclusively for the day. Sales of vinyl have risen, with 4.3m records sold in the UK during 2019, more than a 12-fold increase on the levels seen in 2011. Record Store Day, LONDON, UK – 29 Aug 2020

There are a lot of local record stores that are celebrating Record Store Day, and here is where to go:

  • Revolution Records in Cape Coral
  • TJ’s CDs & More in Port Charlotte
  • Joe’s Record Exchange in downtown Fort Myers
  • Record Trader 1 in Fort Myers
  • Stellar Records in Fort Myers

Stellar Records is excited to celebrate its first Record Store Day. They plan to open at 8:30 a.m. and their event will contninue through 6:30 p.m.

The store, located on Cleveland Avenue was established September 2023 during a vinyl emergence and within a strong local music scene.

Owner Liz Cochran can’t wait for April 20. According to her, the first 30 customers will get a Stellar Records tote bag.

Record Store Day
Stellar Records Tote Bag with Major Tom on the front. CREDIT: Liz Cochran

Also…

“We’re giving away a record player and a prize pack. That’s for everybody, anybody who comes in at any point during the day,” Cochran said.

The prize pack is worth over $200.

As for what exclusive records they will get, Stellar won’t know until four days before the event. However, Stellar’s staff has curated a selection of records, which include special releases from Paramore, Ramones, soul jazz records and Freddie Gibbs & Madlib.

Record Store Day
Stellar Records in Fort Myers. CREDIT: Liz Cochran

“They [the record companies] sent us this giant list. Like, huge, and basically, we asked for suggestions from the community to see what they were interested in us trying to get,” Cochran said.

To energize yourself for your vinyl collecting excursion, Shawn & Tony’s Kitchen, from Fort Myers, is making breakfast pastries for Stellar Records patrons.

Along with an exclusive Record Store Day selection, Record Trader 1 in Fort Myers will have used vinyl for $1 off.

SWFL has a strong music scene. Whether it’s shows at Ollie’s Pub, Nice Guys Pizza or The Ranch, music reigns in our local scene.

“It’s nice to see music locally, like, local music and record stores still open nowadays. People are interested in that still,” Cochran said.

Vinyl
Vinyl for local band, Except You, located at Stellar Records. CREDIT: WINK News

To find local shows, click here.

Click here to see what other stores in Florida are partaking in Record Store Day.

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