What to know and seek for Record Store Day 2024 in the Twin Cities

A rundown on who’s putting out music and playing it live for Saturday’s national shopping holiday.

The Minnesota Star Tribune
April 18, 2024 at 11:05AM
Record Store Day
Shoppers browsed the bins at Hymie's Records in Minneapolis on a recent Record Store Day. (Jessica Armbruster/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

If you’re an old Record Store Day pro, you know the drill: Map out your itinerary, make a wish list, get up early and hope your credit card and patience with slow crate-diggers hold up.

If you’re less experienced with Saturday’s annual shopper’s holiday — started in 2007 to promote independent record shops before the now-prevalent resurgence of vinyl — then there’s a lot to take in. Stores around the country open early and stock up on items, including limited-edition Record Store Day (RSD) releases put out by labels and artists just for the occasion.

Here are some of the specifics of Saturday’s RSD events around the Twin Cities, where more than 20 stores are listed as participants on the official site, recordstoreday.com.

The hours: How rock ‘n’ roll is it to go record shopping at the crack of dawn? You’ll have that option at Hymie’s Records in Minneapolis, whose 7 a.m. opening is the earliest option. The Electric Fetus in Minneapolis and Caydence Records & Coffee and Barely Brothers Records in St. Paul begin sales at 8 a.m. Mill City Sound in Hopkins, Down in the Valley in Golden Valley, Roadrunner Records in Minneapolis and all Cheapo Discs locations open at 9 a.m.

The in-store performances: Live music is a big component of RSD once again, although technically local sibling band Durry’s 11 a.m. busker set won’t be “in store” but rather behind the Electric Fetus, which is also hosting DJ sets 10 a.m.-5 p.m. by Jake Rudh, Bad Bad Hats and others.

Barely Brothers has a full lineup of bands noon-6 p.m. with (in order) Adam Linz, Institutional Green, the De’Lindas, Chickaboom & Troglodyte, Muun Bato and the 99ers. Know Name in Minneapolis hosts July Fighter, All the Pretty Horses and Chad Erickson & the Untimely starting at 12:30 p.m. Hymie’s in Minneapolis unleashes Thee Mod Garage at noon.

The Replacements' 1986 live set featured in last year's "Tim: Let It Bleed Edition" box set is being sold separately for Record Store Day 2024. (Rhino Warner Records)

The special releases, locals edition: Among Minnesota acts, the Replacements will once again have one of this year’s most sought after RSD-exclusive limited releases, a two-LP version of their 1986 live set at the Metro in Chicago, featured in last year’s “Tim: Let It Bleed Edition” box set. The only Prince-related item this year is a three-LP repackaging of 94 East’s mid-’70s recordings featuring the teenaged boy wonder on guitar. Also look for new albums stocked in recent weeks by Humbird, Charlie Parr, Bad Bad Hats and Jeremy Messersmith.

The special releases, non-locals: Among the hottest RSD items up for grabs nationally are: Olivia Rodrigo and Noah Kahan’s joint 7-inch single; other 7-inches by Sleater-Kinney, Sabrina Carpenter and Frank Turner; live albums by the Weeknd, Fleet Foxes, De La Soul, the 1975 and Talking Heads, plus new collections of unreleased tracks by David Bowie and the Ramones. Former RSD ambassador Taylor Swift has nothing special advertised, but it’s no coincidence her new album, “The Tortured Poets Department,” is out Friday.

about the writer

about the writer

Chris Riemenschneider

Critic / Reporter

Chris Riemenschneider has been covering the Twin Cities music scene since 2001, long enough for Prince to shout him out during "Play That Funky Music (White Boy)." The St. Paul native authored the book "First Avenue: Minnesota's Mainroom" and previously worked as a music critic at the Austin American-Statesman in Texas.

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