It's now been confirmed that Record Store Day is going to look a lot different this year.
The June 20, 2020 date - itself a replacement for the original April 18 event - has been cancelled due to the ongoing store closures resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, the titles originally slated for Record Store Day will be divided up for three "Record Store Day Drops" currently planned to take place one Saturday per month in August, September, and October. These "properly distanced" release dates are August 29, September 26, and October 24. An updated version of the release list with drop dates assigned to each title will be unveiled on June 1.
In a statement, the folks behind RSD concede, "Record Store Day will look very different this year, but supporting indie record stores may be more important than ever. We don't know what sort of rules will be in place, or what sort of gatherings people will be in the mood for this year, so we're focusing on the music and getting the really great titles on the RSD Official List this year into the stores and into your hands, in the most financially and socially responsible way."
Watch this space for any further updates, but more importantly, please stay safe and healthy during this difficult time.
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Looking forward to seeing the length of the line-ups outside stores, considering the social distancing recommendations will most likely (still) be in effect. I'm sure the line-up for the Amoeba Hollywood store will stretch to Burbank . . .
Depending if it is open, Endre: https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2020-04-27/amoeba-music-shuttering-sunset-blvd-store
Amoeba Hollywood announced a day or two ago that they won't be reopening the Sunset location. https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2020-04-27/amoeba-music-shuttering-sunset-blvd-store
There's real doubt that they'll have the resources open in their new location either. They have: https://www.gofundme.com/f/amoeba-music-needs-help-to-survive
Sad to say, but the pandemic is probably going to shutter many remaining physical media outlets.
The Gofundme is a scam!!! I live two blocks away from Amoeba....it's owners sold the building/land in 2016 for $34 million! Now they are claiming poverty to fleece unsuspecting customers. Moreover,about a year or two ago, they started charging a flat surcharge with every purchase to pay for employees healthcare. Again, after selling for $34 million.
Not weighing in on this one way or another, but this article provides the perspective of Amoeba's owner about their crowdfunding plan:
https://variety.com/2020/music/news/amoeba-music-gofundme-record-store-fund-drive-vinyl-1234585476/
Will people really go back three times or just pick the week with the majority of items they want
Cancelling the event and give shops a life raft. Let them get immediate sales with RSD product to help keep them afloat Many stores will not make it to the fall. Also, maybe more importantly, you are willing to have fans line up in herds 3 times instead of once? Spacing out releases won't make the lines shorter and stores will have to try and police the social distancing three different days. In Chicago if you do this wrong you're going to get fined. With over a million people infected and health experts thinking there will be a resurgence in the fall, what exactly is the benefit here. Stores have adapted to selling curbside to keep their customers safe, they can adapt once again now to get the RSD titles to fans. But don't endanger lives!! We plan on pulling our RSD title we do not want our fans health risked for a vinyl record.
This whole record store day thing should be dropped. Just sell the stuff to anyone who wants to buy it, at any store or on-line dealer, over any time period. Make as many as the market demands.