Record Store Day 2019: Where To Shop In Alexandria

ALEXANDRIA, VA—Remember the days of listening to vinyl records before compact discs, then mp3 players and smartphones came around? Well, even today some say there's nothing like listening to vinyl records to get the best quality. A lot of these people frequent independent record stores and have been counting down the days until Record Store Day on Saturday, April 13.

Record Store Day has been a tradition since 2008 "as a way to celebrate and spread the word about the unique culture surrounding nearly 1400 independently owned record stores in the US and thousands of similar stores internationally," according to the Record Store Day website. Participating stores normally have special releases and promotions exclusively for the day.

Alexandria's own Crooked Beat Records at 802 North Fairfax Street is participating. The business will hand out free grab bags filled with stickers, buttons, vintage 7"s, magnets, posters, keychains, new and used records and CDs to the first 100 paying customers. Two of the bags will have $25 gift certificates inside. The first 75 paying customers will also receive a custom Crooked Beat tote bag.

The store will have exclusive releases for Record Store Day. The list of available titles can be found at crookedbeat.com.

The store will open to its 30 frequent customers at 8 a.m. and to the general public at 9 a.m. on Saturday. Since the store anticipates crowds, it will let in 20 to 25 people at a time. Customers are asked to form a single-file line beginning at the counter ending towards the back of the store to purchase titles. Titles are limited to one per person and cannot be held.

See other stores participating in Record Store Day here and follow Crooked Beat Records for updates throughout the day.