Record Store Day 2023: Everything you need to know in Nashville

Matthew Leimkuehler, Nashville Tennessean
·4 min read

It's time again to celebrate the heartbeat of every thriving music scene — the independent record store.

Record Store Day returns Saturday, and Nashville plans to embrace the annual shopping holiday the best way it knows how: With tons of live music.

From exclusive LP releases to all-day block parties, let's break out what to expect from Record Store Day 2023 in Music City.

Press operator Christopher Whitehead checks vinyl records as they come out of the pressing machine at Nashville Record Pressing in Nashville, Tenn., Thursday, July 7, 2022.
Press operator Christopher Whitehead checks vinyl records as they come out of the pressing machine at Nashville Record Pressing in Nashville, Tenn., Thursday, July 7, 2022.

Where's the party?

  • Vinyl Tap: The East Nashville record shop and neighborhood bar boasts a block party with two stages of live music, including performances from local favorites Erin Rae, Brit Taylor, and William Tyler & The Impossible Truth, among others. Additional festivities include a food truck park, vendors curated by local tastemaker Be Good Market, beer from East Nashville Brew Works and a drag performance. Doors for shopping Record Store Day titles and in-store deals open at 9 a.m.; music kicks off at 11:30 a.m.

  • Grimey's New and Preloved Music: The venerable Nashville store opens Saturday at 10 a.m. for shoppers to snag Record Store Day finds. Local non-profit radio station WXNA plans to DJ the event. To combat a rush when doors open, those wanting Record Store Day titles can form a line outside Grimey's backdoor before 10 a.m. As the line grows, employees will hand out record "menus" for shoppers to make selections from Record Store Day inventory.

  • The Groove: A can't-miss tradition for Record Store Day in Nashville, The Groove plans to reprise an annual backyard bash featuring live music from Patzy, Jamiah, Future Crib, Jive Talk, Dedo, Brian Brown and more. Co-produced with Acme Feed & Seed, the event features vendors from HiFi Cookies to LabCanna, Braid Babes and more. Music kicks off at 11 a.m. with proceeds benefiting non-profit Oasis Center's "Just Us" program for local LGBTQ youth.

  • After party at the Vinyl Lab: The music doesn't stop after shopping ends. Saturday evening, head to The Vinyl Lab for an after party featuring The Wild Feathers, JD Clayton and Tre Burt, among others. Presented by local record press the Vinyl Lab with indie Nashville label Oh Boy Records, the show features food trucks and live lathe vinyl cutting.

More local spots dishing Record Store Day exclusives include McKay's Books and the Great Escape in West Nashville

Are you a year-round record collector? Here's your guide to shopping for vinyl in Nashville

Rockin' in the suburbs

Living a commuter life and can't make the Saturday morning trek to Davidson County for Record Store Day? Dig into a few of the Record Store Day exclusive shops surrounding Nashville:

  • Luna's Record Shop at The Factory in Franklin

  • Variety Records in downtown Columbia

  • TownSquare Records & Comics in Gallatin

  • Spinners Record Shop in Columbia

  • The Great Escape in Madison and Murfreesboro

Find a full list of area participating Record Store Day shops at recordstoreday.com/stores.

Gabe McCauley, the host of the PBS show "Reconnecting Roots" browses albums at Variety Record Shop in Columbia, Tenn. on Aug. 23, 2022. Gabe and his wife Mandy, the show's music supervisor, recently released a Volume II vinyl of reimagined songs used on their show.
Gabe McCauley, the host of the PBS show "Reconnecting Roots" browses albums at Variety Record Shop in Columbia, Tenn. on Aug. 23, 2022. Gabe and his wife Mandy, the show's music supervisor, recently released a Volume II vinyl of reimagined songs used on their show.

Exclusive titles and 2023 ambassadors

Record Store Day thrives on exclusive, rare and collectable vinyl pressings from sought-after artists. Those participating in releases this year include The 1975, The Doors, Miles Davis, Fleetwood Mac, Grateful Dead, Nas, Pearl Jam ... and the list goes on. A few titles with ties to Nashville artists include:

  • Taylor Swift releases a version of 2020 album "Folklore" from her Long Pond sessions that previously debuted as a Disney+ documentary.

  • The Black Keys release an unearthed live recording from 2002.

  • Dolly Parton releases an LP of early-career singles.

  • The 2017 Kenny Rogers tribute concert at Bridgestone Arena gets a vinyl release.

  • Amanda Shires debuts a live EP cut at Nashville's Columbia Studio A.

  • Jason Isbell and Amanda Shires drop an EP of tunes tracked inside famed Nashville studio Sound Emporium.

Speaking of Shires and Isbell, the husband-wife couple are this year's Record Store Day Ambassadors  a title reserved for public figures continually waving the flag for independent record shopping.

In a joint statement, Isbell and Shires shared: "Record stores are gathering places. They’re rooms full of carefully curated art and entertainment where you can find a friend, take a date, start a band. We all need these gathering places now more than ever. In your local record store you find common ground and the excitement of discovery. A great new album can make a grumpy old man (like Jason) feel like a kid again."

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Record Store Day 2023: Everything you need to know in Nashville