Northwest Philly record stores to push shopping local this Black Friday

On Friday, throngs of people will make their way to the malls and shopping complexes to partake in annual Black Friday events. But those with music on their holiday shopping list might want to think twice before heading into the crowds and congested parking lots.

For the third year, the internationally celebrated Record Store Day, which traditionally takes place on the third Saturday in April, will be hosting a special “Back to Black Friday” event.

Hideaway Music in Chestnut Hill and Main Street Music in Manayunk will both be participating in the Back to Black Friday event which, according to the Record Store Day organization, “gives record stores exclusive releases as part of the attempt to redirect the focus of the biggest shopping day of the year to the desirable, special things to be found at local stores.”

Beginning in 2008, Record Store Day was conceived by two record shops looking for ways to promote independent brick and mortar stores.

The Back to Black Friday event has a lineup of over 100 special releases exclusive to independent record stores such as “Dawes: Stripped Down at Grimey’s” on CD and vinyl, a Rolling Stones 7-inch vinyl and “John Denver and the Muppets: A Christmas Together” 12-inch picture disk.

Pat Feeney, owner of Main Street Music in Manayunk said that the store will also be hosting a free in-store performance by the English folk/punk singer-songwriter, Frank Turner.

“It’s going to be a really exciting show,” said Jamie Blood, who has been an employee of Main Street Music for nearly five years. The store holds in-store concerts and signings on a regular basis, having recently hosted notable artists like the legendary Johnny Winter, Langhorne Slim and Philadelphia’s own Dave Hause.

But Blood noted Turner’s latest album, “Tape Deck Heart” is a favorite among the staff and customers at Main Street Music. The in-store performance will take place at 4:30 p.m. and Turner will be playing a full concert at the Electric Factory later that night.

“Record Store Day gets people back in the stores instead of shopping on the internet or downloading their music,” Blood said.

The past few years have seen a resurgence in record sales which has Blood, and her fellow staff members hopeful.

“Record Store Day is probably one of the best things that could have happened to vinyl and to record stores in general,” she said.