It won't be business as usual at Big Love Records this Saturday, April 19. The store, one of the best places to shop for records in Tokyo's trendy Harajuku neighborhood, will be selling limited-edition music from various artists, including film director David Lynch. Meanwhile, shadowy beatmaker Sapphire Slows will perform live at the store. Shop owner Masashi Naka says visitors can buy beer, and get free food, if they buy some music. It's all in celebration of Record Store Day.
"It has only been a few years since (Record Store Day) began in Japan, but people nowadays don't just visit us to buy special records, they come to celebrate our store," Naka says. "Our beer kegs are empty by the end of the day."
Record Store Day began in the United States in 2007. The official website says it was organized by a collection of record store owners and employees to "celebrate and spread the word about the unique culture" surrounding such establishments, which have taken monetary hits with the advent of digital music. Since then, the day has become a global recognition of brick-and-mortar music stores, featuring special records that go on sale for only one day and in-store performances (the likes of Metallica and Jack White have played notable gigs).