All hail the independent CD store.
It takes guts, tenacity and dedication to run an independent CD store today when mega-corporations have their fingers in every little pie of nearly every multimedia outlet in the world.
There are the F.Y.E.s and the Blockbusters, to name a few, that are in nearly every major city. Salt Lake City did, at one time, have a Virgin Megastore. And then there's iTunes, which has tapped into nearly every computer in the nation.
However, riding just below the major-market radar are those mom-and-pop stores that shun the flash and concentrate on selling music, DVDs and video games to their loyal clientele.
Well, this Saturday, indie-stores from Maine to San Francisco — and every place in between, including stores in Canada — will celebrate Record Store Day, a day where these shops are honored for their contributions and roles they play in their community.
Those who are lucky enough to be in San Francisco on Saturday can fight crowds at Rasputin Music's Mountain View store where Metallica, breaking its 10-year, in-store absence, is scheduled for an autograph signing and meet-and-greet session to celebrate Record Store Day and to promote the band's vinyl re-release of the classic albums "Kill 'Em All" and "Ride the Lightning."
There are nine Utah stores participating in Record Store Day including Cedar City's Groovacious, Salt Lake's Positively 4th Street Music and all seven Graywhale CD Exchange stores — University of Utah, Ogden, Bountiful, Taylorsville, West Jordan, Draper and Orem — according to the Record Store Day Web site (www.recordstoreday.com).
And while none of the Beehive State's outlets will feature multiplatinum-selling rock bands, each store will have its own festivities. Stores are scheduled to have live music throughout the day, and some, like the West Jordan and Draper Graywhales, will become mini-movie theaters to celebrate the art of filmmaking.
In addition, patrons will receive an array of promotional items — free CDs, DVDs and even select vinyl releases during this daylong celebration.
Check the Record Store Day Web site for the local listings and then visit the stores and give the employees and owners pat on the back or flash the corna — the famous, head-bangers devil-horns hand sign — for a job well done.
E-mail: scott@desnews.com