In case you haven’t heard, LPs and cassettes are back in fashion. At this point, you can even grab a few records while grocery shopping at your local Target. Although vinyl seems to be sold everywhere these days, no place does it quite like a classic record store, which offers the unique experience of flipping through bins elbow-to-elbow with fellow music fans and knowledgeable staff on hand to recommend new tunes. Whether you have a record player or not, here are five record stores that I recommend supporting not just on Record Store Day (which is Saturday, April 22, 2023), but all year round, too.
Easy Street Records
Since its start in 1987, Easy Street has positioned itself as a West Seattle institution offering new and used vinyl, CDs, tapes, DVDs, and pancakes (yeah, you heard it right!) Right beside the endless aisles of media lies their beloved cafe featuring music-themed menu items like the “Dolly Parton stack” and the “Eddie Feta.” Plus, the long-running record shop is known for their killer in-store performances that have included acts like Brandi Carlile, Macklemore, and Lana Del Rey (just to name a few). Check out our calendar for their latest in-store events.
West Seattle
Record Store Day 2023 Offerings: Special releases with expanded hours 7 am-9 pm. Free bacon and coffee for folks waiting in line. Patio sale with 5 LPs for $10. Art exhibit from grunge photographer Charles Peterson. Live in-store performance from the Rockfords.
