Photo by Sarah Finnegan.
Boxes of records are seen inside Charlemagne Records in Five Points.
There’s something about being in a store, perusing through records that makes your heart skip a beat, and you don’t get that online, said Marian McKay Rosato, owner of Charlemagne Record Exchange.
That’s what makes Record Store Day so special. “You support your local record store, and it’s just a great environment to discover new music and meet new people and just have a good time,” Rosato said. “Shopping is an experience. I don’t shop online — it doesn’t do a thing for me.”
Charlemagne is one of Birmingham’s locally owned record stores that will be participating in Record Store Day this April. The event, which started in 2008, is an annual day of celebration for the culture of independently owned stores, their staff, heir customers and communities, according to recordstoreday.com.
Each year, stores will host special sales and have other activities for the community. Charlemagne will offer 20 percent off all used items, as well as live performances.
“It’s just so much fun. There’s great releases that come out that are only available at independent record stores, and they’re in limited quantities, so it’s an instant collector’s item,” Rosato said.
According to recordstoreday.com, Seasick Records in Crestwood and Renaissance Records in Five Points plan to participate in this year’s April 21 event.
