Milwaukee Record Store Day

This Saturday, April 17, is the third annual, worldwide Record Store Day. Challenging the capitalist machine that asks us to buy heart-shaped cards and fuzzy teddy bears in February, fiber-optic snowmen in December, and Shamrock-adorned top hats in March, Record Store Day celebrates the independent retailer, the well-intentioned champions of local/DIY culture: the record store! An establishment worthy to take your money. Duh.

Milwaukee stores have participated in the event since its inception in 2007, hosting bands and DJs and running promotions on Record Store Day-only deals and exclusives. This year is no different. At the forefront of the festivities is the Exclusive Company. Both Exclusive locations will be hosting bands and/or DJs, stocking the special Record Store Day-only special vinyl and CDs (releases from The Hold Steady, The Flaming Lips, Built to Spill, Sonic Youth, Deerhoof, and more), goodie bags, and offering sales on in-store stock (both CDs and DVDs). Additionally, if you bring in any two nonperishable food items, which will benefit the Hunger Task Force of Milwaukee, you’ll receive a free gift and a 10% discount off your purchase.

At Exclusive’s east-side location (1669 N. Farwell, 414-271-8590), a slew of bands are scheduled to perform, starting at 2 p.m. with surf-rockers The Exotics. Check the schedule below.

10:00 a.m. WMSE’s Good John Newhauser and Zero Hour host, Andy Turner live DJ set
12:00 WMSE’s Bts Wrkg host John Goelzer live DJ set
1:00 Lemonie Fresh live DJ set
2:00 The Exotics
2:45 The Lackloves
3:30 Conrad Plymouth
4:15 Trapper Schoepp & The Shades
5:00 Surgeons In Heat
5:45 Sugar Stems
6:30 Sleazy Beats
7:15 Slug Shell (Genre: Metal. These dudes don’t look like they’re out of high school; winner of the Record Store Day Battle of the Bands contest. Maybe a nice break from a lot of the folk and pop sounds preceding?)

The Greenfield location (5026 S. 74th Street, 414-281-6644) will host WMSE DJs from open to close:

11:00 a.m. The legendary Bob Reitman
1:00 WMSE’s Night Lab host Adam
3:00 WMSE’s Jerry’s Attic host, Jerry, and Blues Drive host, Sonia
4:00 WMSE’s Prog Planet host, Mark
5:00 Peter D’Amore
7:30 WMSE’s Team Metal hosts Jason and Ellis

And, it’s not over. Record Store Day will turn into Record Store Night (har, har) when the Exclusive presents A Tribute to Alex Chilton & Big Star at Linneman’s Riverwest Inn ($7; 1001 E. Locust, 414-263-9844) starting at 9 p.m. and featuring the Aimless Blades, Quinn Scharber, Juniper Tar, Matt Beckler, Certain Stars, John Peacock, Surgeons in Heat, Terry Hackbarth, and Tom Vollman performing songs from the catalog of the late great, very influential Alex Chilton (solo work) and Big Star. Bring a smile and your hankies (just in case). All proceeds of the show will benefit WMSE, your favorite MKE radio station.

And whether you’re in-between bands or enjoying a free Saturday, don’t forget the most important part of Record Store Day—to buy some records! Every day is Record Store Day at Bullseye Records (1627 E. Irving, 414-223-3177), where you can find new and (great-priced) used vinyl of the punk, indie, jazz, and rock ilk. Likewise, head over to Rushmor Records in Bay View (2635 S. Kinnickinnic, 414-481-6040) and sift through the vinyl shelves of new releases and touchstone reissues of (mostly) punk, post-punk, and metal necessities. The crush of the vinyl comeback is on us and reinvented. Get with the tangible media.