Indy CD & Vinyl, Luna Music, Square Cat Vinyl, others to celebrate Record Store Day

Vinyl record fans, set your alarm clocks this weekend. 

A number of Indianapolis-area music stores will be opening early Saturday to celebrate Record Store Day, offering early-bird giveaways and selling limited-edition merchandise while supplies last. Some will also celebrate with live performances that continue into the evening. 

Record Store Day, now in its 11th year, is an international event designed to celebrate and promote independent record shops. On that day, many participating retailers will be selling limited-edition Record Store Day releases—mostly vinyl records—that are only available while supplies last.

Sales of vinyl records in the United States have more than tripled since 2011, to more than 14 million last year, according to Billboard magazine. Among the reasons for the surge, Billboard said, are promotions from Amazon and other giant online retailers, but also Record Store Day, which independent retailers created to fight back against huge competitors.  

Some local stores have a full day—or weekend—of events planned.

Indy CD & Vinyl, at 806 Broad Ripple Ave., is expanding its Record Store Day festivities to a two-day event that includes giveaways and concerts, including performances by Addison Agen of NBC’s “The Voice” and others. 

“This year will certainly be the biggest we have produced,” Indy CD & Vinyl co-owner Andy Skinner told IBJ in an e-mail. “We are VERY excited!”

Saturday will focus on getting shoppers inside the store, Skinner said, with a larger outdoor music event planned for Sunday. 

The store opens at 8 a.m. Saturday, with goodie bags, door prizes, ticket giveaways and other items. Live music begins at noon on the store’s indoor stage, featuring Nicholas Rowe of Columbus, Ohio, along with a number of local artists.

On Sunday, Indy CD & Vinyl will have a family-friendly concert from 10 to noon followed by performances by Agen and numerous other acts.

Luna Music, at 5202 N. College Ave., and Square Cat Vinyl, at 1054 Virginia Ave., also plan to feature live music at (or outside) their shops on Saturday.

Luna Music’s Facebook page says it will be open from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. for a “block party” event that includes live music from noon to 6 p.m., food and beverages, limited-edition items for sale, earlybird giveaways at 8 a.m. and a sidewalk sale with items priced as low as $1. 

According to Square Cat’s Facebook page, the store will open at 8 a.m. that day and present live music from 10 different acts between noon and midnight. The store will also offer free goodie bags with tickets and other giveaways to the first 50 customers that morning, a $1 sidewalk sale and raffle giveaways.

Other participating stores include: 

The Exchange, which says both of its Indianapolis locations will participate: 912 Broad Ripple Ave. in Broad Ripple, and 5975 E. 82nd St. in Castleton. Both locations will be stocked with special-release merchandise, the store tells IBJ.

Karma Records, which says all three of its Indianapolis locations will participate: 3802 N. High School Road, 21 N. Post Road and 3532 W. 86th St. According to its Facebook page, Karma will be open from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. that day selling limited-edition records, CDs and cassettes; offering 25 percent off used items and conducting drawings for various prizes.

The Vibe in Shelbyville, 2511 E. State Road 44. The store’s Facebook page says the store will open early at 8 a.m. that day, with a limited selection of Record Store Day LPs for sale.

Vinyl Rescue Project in Greenwood, 520 N. State Road 135, Suite M. The store will be open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. that day. The store says it has ordered more than 95 percent of available Record Store Releases and will be offering prize giveaways and discounts on regular merchandise.

In other retail news this week, we’ve got a couple of pet-related items, a couple of grand openings and more:

Bentley’s Pet Stuff will have grand openings this weekend for two Indianapolis stores: 3857 E. 82nd St. on the city’s north side, and 6280 N. College Ave. in Broad Ripple. They will be the second and third Indianapolis stores for the Long Grove, Illinois-based retailer, which sells food, toys and accessories for dogs and cats. Its first area store is at 2902 W. 86th St. Bentley’s plans to open four more Indiana stores this summer. Those locations include a Noblesville store at 16635 Mercantile Blvd. and a Whitestown store at 6424 Whitestown Parkway, both of which will open in July. The retailer also plans to open two stores in Fort Wayne this summer.

Bird Fever, an exotic bird and supply store, has moved to 5921 E. 86th St. and has a new owner. Mark and Joanna Roth bought the business from Jack and Kim Locker on March 3 and moved it the the following day. It had been located at 5919 E. 82nd St. Mark Roth has managed the store for 17 years and Joanna Roth has worked there for 11 years. The shop is open for business and plans a grand re-opening celebration  May 12. 

Le Peep Restaurants of Indiana has named Luke Weber its new executive chef and kitchen director. Weber is an Indianapolis native who most recently worked as executive chef and kitchen director at The Garden Table. Before that, he spent five years as executive chef at the SoBro Café.
In his new role Weber will oversee all of Le Peep of Indiana’s locations: 8255 Craig St. in Castleton, 301 N. Illinois St. downtown, 8487 Union Chapel Road in Fashion Mall Commons, 6335 Intech Commons on the northwest side, and 12213 N. Meridian St. in Carmel’s Hamilton Crossing. 
A sixth location, at the Weston Pointe Retail Center, at 4400 Weston Pointe Drive in Zionsville, is set to open this summer.

Tom Wood Toyota will have its official grand opening celebration April 25 at its new location, 6408 Crane Drive. The dealership has a Whitestown address but lies within Zionsville’s municipal limits. Formerly at 4202 Lafayette Road near Lafayette Square Mall, the dealership relocated in January.