FOLIO
Vinyl Collectors Spend the Night for Music
Words by Joshua Walker
Records collectors, the time has come and gone, but the tradition continued. If you’re wanting to get those rare exclusive records on Record Store Day, you needed to set your alarm early or skip the sleep. It comes down to how much you want those exclusive titles. For many, the event isn’t just a day to celebrate music. But rather it’s a campout experience that turns the sidewalks outside of Tiger Records into a neighborhood of music lovers, and strangers becoming friends. This experience has become an annual full-on overnight ritual for music collectors.
Hours before the sun rose on April 12, the sidewalk outside of Tiger Records was packed with foldable chairs, blankets and sleeping bags. Some people arrived as early as midnight the day of, and others arrived much earlier. “I got here at four 4:30 p.m., but my grandma saved me a spot at like 8 a.m. in the morning, and I’m planning to wait here until they open at 8 a.m. tomorrow,” said Izzy Ramirez.
Collectors came fully equipped with hoodies, blankets, sleeping bags, snacks, games and any other essentials to get them through the long night. Many brought a friend or socialized with fellow collectors in line to pass the time until the doors opened. Throughout the long night conversations in line happened between strangers, lots of naps and snacking and friendships made.
The night may have been long, but acquiring those rare records and meeting other collectors made camping out worth it. Typically, the campout line starts at midnight, but that changed. A highly sought-after album had campers arrive extra early. The Record Store Day exclusive “Wicked” soundtrack was limited to 2,000 copies. This had campers in a frenzy and talking about this title all night. Getting there earlier was essential to ensure you had a chance at getting a copy of this record.
“The Wicked vinyl was a must-have for my vinyl collection. I arrived at Tiger at 6:30 a.m. on Friday and was the first in line. I waited nearly 26 hours in line and managed to snag a copy, as well as a few other different records.” Given the popularity of the “Wicked” movie and low quantity, the high demand for the record skyrocketed and had the streets lined with well over 100 campers in line wrapped around the block.
Whether you were new or a seasoned camper, the vibes were chill and a bit chaotic. People brought chairs, bundled up with blankets, and their favorite snacks. All of this is part of the culture of the annual campout ritual.
While this year’s event has passed, it’s never too early to start planning for next year. Just be sure to bring a chair, pack snacks and arrive early as the line starts to form before the sun rises.
For updates, be sure to check out Tiger Records on Instagram @Tigerrecs.
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