By Christy Wolyniak, Intern

Hundreds of record aficionados came out for Record Store Day of Saturday, April 16, in support of the struggling record stores and rare LPs.

Seattle in particular, prides itself in its love and support of the struggling artist and faithful record store. As a result, five independent record stores within close proximity of each other continue to drive in revenue in spite of the difficult economy, according to Terry McGibbon, sales and marketing rep. for RED music.

Sonic Boom’s Ballard location was bustling with dedicated supporters of the arts and independent record stores. Their presence alone boasted their appreciation for this small, yet dedicated cluster of record stores in Seattle.

“[Record Store Day] is not about records, but about celebrating the [independent] record stores [that have been] hit hard by the economy and digital music,” said Grant Greenman.

Greenman said Record Store Day is just one way to support independent record stores and keep them afloat,

Clutching onto large, smooth vinyl labels, Seattle’s fierce and independent music spirit was represented by the few hundred music fans who weaved in and out of record isles, hunting for that perfect, quality sound.

Record players have become more valued across generations as MP3 downloads are offered with many vinyl-records.

“Some records just sound better [than CDs], and many records today have the ability to give out MP3 rights so you can download it to your iPod and take the music with you,” said University of Washington graduate student, Tyler Zalobowski.

“It’s just a pleasing experience to handle something so large and watching it spin on the player. [Listening to records] is a visceral experience,” added twenty-something shopper, Luke.

Record Store Day was founded in 2007 by Eric Levin, Michael Kurtz, Carrie Colliton, Amy Dorfman, Don Van Cleave and Brian Poehner, who invented recordstoreday.com. The idea first came from Chris Brown.

Record Store Day invited the community to support their local record stores and take advantage of killer deals, free in-store concerts, and other promotional events at different locations. Sonic Boom hosted the bands "the Head and the Heart' and "Telekinesis" on Saturday.

Across the street, Bop Street Records boomed with music as people trickled out with their 15 percent off purchases.

Owner and founder, Dave Voorhees greeted every customer and offered assistance in finding the perfect record. Voorhees began selling records out of his parents’ basement when he was 24. He has owned Bop Street Records and moved it to various locations for 21 years now.

The Wall Street Journal dubbed Bop Street Records one of the five Best Vinyl-Record Stores in America in a February 2011 article, “For the Record.”

“I love what I do. I love music and finding cool stuff – what I want and what [my customers] want,” said Voorhees.

Bop Street Records offers shelves upon shelves of records – half a million according to Voorhees – covering the walls from floor to the ceiling.

“[Records offer] a niche and their growth is higher than that of CDs because there is a solid cult following of records,” said Maple Leaf resident, Ray Lacortes.

Many Sonic Boom shoppers agreed with Lacortes; the fervent record listeners professing their abandonment of CDs altogether as they embraced pure vinyl sound.

Lacortes commented on the art and lifestyle of listening to a record: “It’s warm…slows you down a bit as you have to flip the records. It’s such a fast-paced world – people are constantly Skyping and texting, but embracing the tradition of a less digital age and appreciating the aesthetics of vintage records [is refreshing],” he said.

In the center of eclectic Seattle, the heartbeat of small record stores is very much alive as ardent listeners and local musicians support each other and the mission of the untouchable, independent music niche.

“The music community is so well-developed [in Seattle]; a lot of people are in bands or their friends are in bands, so they understand the need to support their bands and CD releases,” said Sonic Boom cashier. “[Record Store Day] is kind of like a second Christmas, but it’s a second Christmas for yourself.”