While DJs spin their records and headliners take the stage with breathtaking performances at the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival in Indio, fans can get a little piece of the action to take home with them at the festival’s Record Safari.
This year, Record Store Day landed on Saturday, April 12, during the first weekend of Coachella, offering fans the opportunity to participate in what has become an international celebration of vinyl collection at independently owned brick-and-mortar record stores around the world.
At Coachella’s Record Safari, fans can visit a fully air-conditioned shop right by the festival’s entrance to explore a collection of used and new records curated by Alex Rodriguez, who previously owned the Glass House Record Store in Pomona, which closed last year.
The festival’s record store also offers a convenient hold service until Sunday night for just $10, which includes a tote bag for those looking to store their records safely. The space is tacked with crates of vinyl spanning three rows, offering an extensive collection that festival fans look forward to rummaging through every year.
Margo Pablan of San Diego picked Travis Scott’s 2018 “Astroworld” this year. She has been collecting records since she was a kid and visits the record safari every time she attends Coachella.
“Any chance or moment I get to look through records I take because I love it,” Pablan said.
This year, DJ Curly Nez of New York said she was hoping to find a Bad Bunny record to add to her collection after she found a Solange record last year.
“I always try to pop in because I feel like the prices are good, and I appreciate that as a collector because it is an art form that we want to preserve that exchange of music,” she said. “We also want to make sure the artists are getting funds for their music.”
For other festival-goers like Carlos Andrade of Fontana, looking to get rare vinyl at Record Safari has become a festival tradition.
“I’m just looking to see what pops out to me because that’s kind of the fun of it,” he said. “But also, I’m specifically looking for the new 2Hollis record. Over the last two years, I picked up four or five records, and this place is good on records that I can’t find anywhere else.”
According to recordstoreday.com, the first official day took place on April 19, 2008, after a gathering of independent record store owners and employees brainstormed ways to celebrate the culture of collecting records of all eras and genres.
Prominent musicians have also been involved in the event, meeting fans and becoming unofficial ambassadors for Record Store Day, starting with Jesse “Boots Electric” Hughes of Eagles of Death Metal. Others have included Joshua Homme, Ozzy Osbourne, Iggy Pop, Jack White, Chuck D, Dave Grohl, Metallica, St. Vincent, Run The Jewels, Pearl Jam, Brandi Carlile, Fred Armisen and Taylor Swift, who have all worn the annual ceremonial sash. This year’s Record Store Day Ambassador is Sunday Coachella headliner Post Malone.
The singer posted on Instagram announcing the release of his livestream tribute to Nirvana, which took place on April 24, 2020. It features Blink-182’s Travis Barker on drums, guitarist Nick Mack, and bassist Brian Lee. This previously unreleased performance is now available on yellow vinyl exclusively for Record Store Day.
“Happy @RecordStoreDayUS!!! Hope you guys have fun today,” Post Malone shared on Instagram. “Look out for our exclusive ‘Tribute To Nirvana’ Vinyl LP – all proceeds go to @MusiCares addiction recovery/mental health division.”