Record Store Day

This is the time of years when Americans are supposed to take the time to reflect upon the things we are thankful about. We celebrate with our loved ones (well, those of you who have loved ones, anyway) and we overindulge. It's a time-honored tradition.

I am thankful that I have my health. I am grateful that I am still employed, as shaky as that may be at the moment. I'm thankful for the friends I have, and that great books and movies are abundant. I'm glad that my old cat is still spry and loving. I could go on, but there is one big thing I am thankful for this year. I am thankful that there is a great record store in my area.

Another tradition is to go mad shopping on the day after Thanksgiving. It's called Black Friday for good reason. Too many people seem to lose their sanity out there. I have never been Black Friday shopping in my life. I don't have a taste for that sort of thing. But this year I am going. Because Black Friday is also RECORD STORE DAY.

I've always been a big music fan, and like most people, I swallowed the whole compact disc crap. I loved those convenient little discs, and truth told, I still have a ton of them. But in the last few years I have been seriously collecting vinyl again. It's a lot of fun, and they sound so much better than the digitized music on discs or on MP3 players. Plus there is all that great art, and you can even read the liner notes with ease on a record jacket or sleeve.

It's not just me. People everywhere are turning on to vinyl. The college kids are nuts for it, and nearly every artist is putting their stuff out on vinyl again. The big news for a lot of people is, The Beatles are releasing everything on vinyl again. Just in time for the holidays.

I love haunting the thrift stores for deals on records, but I also love the local record store. It's called American Oldies Records , and I am there just about every weekend.

Sometimes people seem to forget that there is a community out there where they live. We're all addicted to the Internet to some degree, and it is just so easy to simply buy from Amazon. But don't you think we are losing something in that scenario? I don't think we are. I know we are.

There is no comparison between browsing through records in a store and mousing through a webpage. The Internet is sterile. The same goes for books, and I'm not simply talking about the old real books vs. e-books argument. Where's the fun in searching through the pages at Amazon Marketplace, Ebay, or AbeBooks? Where's the fun of the chase? The sweet thrill of victory when you make that awesome find? It's too easy. But then we as a species bow to the Gods of Convenience everyday. Or maybe we bend over for them.

Then there is the human element. I love all the wonderful friends I have online, but it isn't the same as socializing in the real world. If you think it is, I pity you.

I've gotten to know the guys at American Oldies. They're great people. Me and the manager are good friends. It didn't take long for him to realize that I am not your typical classic rock fan, or metalhead that comes to the store. My tastes are extremely eclectic. We've been to shows together, broken bread, partied.

And I've gotten to know some of the customers who come to the store. Many are great people, and there are also some really weird characters. You never know what will happen in there. I've had long discussions with other serious music fans, and I've seen some truly deranged people. It's awesome.

If you have a record store near you, chances are it is barely getting by. These people are not in business for the bottom line. They're there out of love for the music, and for the other people around who also love it. For social outcasts who are smart but out of sorts with most people, the record store is a haven. It's much, much more than somewhere to buy records and discs.

Black Friday is Record Store Day. Unlike most of the greedy, cynical corporate stores and websites, the local stores not only need, but deserve, your support. Please, please consider going out for the event.

Special, exclusive releases are coming out that day. And even if you aren't onboard the vinyl revolution, please check out the local stores and try to buy your CDs there.

A list of participating stores is on the website. Check it out and see if there is a store near you. Unless, of course, you are content to live in a soulless world where you only buy music from Amazon or itunes.