Your Guide to Record Store Day Black Friday 2024 in Nashville

Between the first dark days of daylight saving time and the Technicolor lights of the holiday season lies capitalism’s biggest day, Black Friday. Audiophiles across the country prepare by filling their wish lists with vinyl releases specially organized to draw you into independent record shops for the second-biggest record-buying holiday of the year, Record Store Day Black Friday. RSDBF has something for everyone on your list, from exclusive titles to physical media debuts that’ll go into wider circulation later. 

RSD Firsts and Exclusives

If you want to be the first to get your hands on some of this year’s most sought-after releases from chart-topping artists, be sure to add these to your list: Noah Kahan’s collaborative Town Hall LP, Kacey Musgraves’ Deeper Into the Well LP, Olivia Rodrigo’s Guts (Spilled) double LP or the Boyz Noize remix LP of Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’ Challengers soundtrack. 

Moving on to exclusive titles: If you love the idea of winding down with a classic live record but cannot be bothered to get up to flip sides more than once, check out Jimi Hendrix’s Songs for Groovy Children: The Fillmore East Concerts. This quintessential release has been abbreviated; the original LP set released in 2019 included eight records! The five tracks on this blue-and-purple swirl vinyl release span all four of Hendrix’s New Year’s 1970 celebration sets. 

Hip-hop fans will want to check out MF Doom’s Operation: Doomsday 25th Anniversary, and they have their choice of formats. In a rare occurrence for RSDBF, the record will be released on two LPs, CD and cassette; choose your favorite listening experience or get all three.

Listeners with a sense of humor should be sure to look out for Steve Martin’s famous ode to the boy king who “gave his life for tourism” with “King Tut” on a special 12-inch maxi-single picture disc. If your sense of humor more closely aligns with pranks and fart jokes, consider presenting your favorite goofy goober with their very own copy of The Spongebob Squarepants Movie – Music From the Movie and More … to celebrate the 20th anniversary of a cinematic classic. 

If female folk-rock heroes are your thing, consider Joni Mitchell’s Hejira Demos LP or Stevie Nicks’ new feminist protest single “The Lighthouse” on a 7-inch. Alt-pop fans will love Tegan and Sara’s So Jealous (20th Anniversary) double LP — hearing “Walking With a Ghost” on vinyl will be a treat. 

Fans of punk legends the Ramones will want to check out their Greatest Hits LP, while more modern rebels ought to seek out Rage Against the Machine’s Democratic National Convention 2000 EP. If you think music peaked in the ’90s, you’ll love Record Store Day’s Song of the Year 12-inch single: This time, the honor has been bestowed on Pearl Jam’s “Waiting for Stevie,” recorded at a recent show in Seattle. 

Record Store Happenings

Along with the rest of the retail world, plenty of local record stores will honor RSD Black Friday with special hours and incentives for savvy shoppers. 

The Great Escape (whose flagship store is at 5400 Charlotte Ave. but also has stores in Madison and Murfreesboro) will have exclusives as well as a 20 percent discount on regular stock. They’ll open four hours early at 8 a.m. for early birds to get their shop on. McKay’s (636 Old Hickory Blvd.) will not have any exclusives, and will be open normal hours, 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Third Man Records (623 Seventh Ave. S.) doesn’t participate in RSD’s exclusives program, but you never know what kind of special surprises could be in store! Recent releases include a reissue of Albert Ayler’s New Grass, a 40th anniversary reissue of The Jesus and Mary Chain’s debut single “Upside Down” and a Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers live set from 1982 called The Gennaro Tapes — not to mention Jack White’s Grammy-nominated No Name LP.

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Chuck Indigo, Becca Mancari, Many More Rock Out on Record Store Day

The Groove and Vinyl Tap hosted blowout shows Saturday with a massive variety of live music

The Groove (1103 Calvin Ave.) will open to shoppers at 10 a.m. to sling RSD exclusives, special buys, sale records and mystery grab bags perfect for every listener on your list. Their East Side neighbors at Grimey’s (1060 E. Trinity Lane) will have the exclusives as well, and will also open at 10 a.m. 

Vinyl Tap (2038 Greenwood Ave.) will celebrate Black Friday as well as the store, bar and venue’s birthday with sales, an early opening at 11 a.m., DJs spinning and, of course, RSD exclusives. 

Analog Your Life (2546 Lebanon Pike) is the perfect spot for Black Friday shoppers looking for an early-morning boost. They’ll have exclusives and 10 percent off their regular stock starting early at 10 a.m., along with complimentary doughnuts and coffee and a shopping experience soundtracked by local DJs. 

Elevator Vinyl doesn’t carry RSD exclusives, but they’ll be celebrating their first anniversary inside Lykke Haus Vintage (500 Trinity Lane) with some sweet new stock, a DJ and “sexy Santa.” I’m not sure I want to know what that means, but if you do, the party starts at 11 a.m. 

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Daydream Records Sets Up Shop

Talking with Daniel Halal about his recently opened used-only retail spot in the Shoppes on Fatherland

Alison’s (994A Davidson Drive) won’t have exclusives either, but shoppers will be treated to 15 percent off everything in the store all weekend. Phonoluxe (2609 Nolensville Pike) doesn’t carry RSD specials but will have new stock for perusal on Black Friday. Jimbo’s (inside Vinterest at 2416 Music Valley Drive) won’t have them either, but will have 10 percent off their usual stock. It’ll be business as usual on Black Friday at two of Nashville’s newer vinyl outposts, Dead End Records (100 Taylor St., Suite A22A) and Daydream Records (Suite 203 inside the Shoppes on Fatherland, 1006 Fatherland St.), but you’d be remiss not to pay them a visit and support the newest seedlings in Nashville’s growing indie record-store ecosystem. 

As always, make sure to check with stores or watch their social media for last-minute changes. And while you’re out and about on Black Friday, be sure to also check out Hi-Fi Frontier (inside Dashwood Vintage at 2416 Music Valley Drive) and Swaggie Records (211 Union St.). The Scene wasn’t able to get any info about their plans before press time, but it’s always a good day to support a mom-and-pop shop. Good luck, and happy shopping!

Editor's note: The print version of this story suggests you also visit Soulfolks. Sadly, after this issue went to press, proprietor and musician R.A.P. Ferriera posted that the store has closed.