Shabazz Palaces to Headline Sweat's Record Store Day 2016

Record Store Day, the annual celebration of all things vinyl, will be broken into two parts this year at Sweat Records. The day portion, on April 16, will give music junkies the chance to purchase rare and reissued collectible albums beginning with an 8 a.m. opening. Owner Lauren Reskin, as usual, expects a long line stretching past Churchill's. "We usually get 100 people lining up outside. To entertain them at 7 a.m., DJ Le Spam will be in his tricked-out bus playing vinyl."

Inside the shop, music will be curated throughout the day by DJ Affect, DJ Hottpants, Oly, and Andrew Vincent.

Reskin has advice for newbies who have never experienced the frenzy of audiophiles on Record Store Day: "Do your homework," she warns. "Look at the list online of what's being released and know ahead of time what you want to get." Some of the records she's personally looking forward to include Origami, a box-set collection of the works of the British shoegazers Lush. There's also a reissue of David Bowie's The Man Who Sold the World and exclusive Record Store Day releases by everyone from the Weeknd to Elvis Presley.

The second portion of Sweat Record's RSD festivities will be held next door at Churchill's, starting at 7 p.m. "We're taking advantage of being next door to one of the best local venues in Florida," Reskin says. The all-ages free show will feature a half-dozen South Florida acts, including punk rockers Party Flag, the '80s flavored synth of Eons, and the raunchy hip-hop of Bleubird.
The headliners, coming all the way from Seattle, are experimental rap act Shabazz Palaces, performing for the first time in Miami. Made up of multi-instrumentalist Tendai Maraire and MC Ishmael Butler (whom you might know better as Butterfly from back when he was a member of '90s legends Digable Planets), Shabazz Palaces played earlier this year at Okeechobee Music Festival, where, in an interview with New Times, Butler described the act's philosophy behind its live shows. "We don't come into any show with a plan. There's no set list. We improvise songs. Checking us out is a singular experience. We rehearse, but only for the fundamentals so we can take off and experiment when we play."

Taking an Uber or Lyft is encouraged, as parking will be limited. Those who ride a bike to Sweat can enjoy the convenience of a bike valet courtesy of the Magic City Bicycle Collective. Food will be provided by Ms. Cheezious and Rolling Stove. For those who aren't that interested in vinyl, there will be vendors and sidewalk sales to keep you occupied while your friends search the store. 

For Sweat and Reskin, Record Store Day — now in its eighth year — is more than just a chance to make a profit; it's an opportunity to bond with a community. "We see a lot of the same faces, same families, same couples," Reskin says. "We love it when we see the parents and aunts and uncles bring the cool kid in their life to Record Store Day." 

Record Store Day 2016 with Shabazz Palaces and more. Saturday, April 16, at Sweat Records and Churchill's, 5505 NE Second Ave., Miami; 786-693-9309; sweatrecordsmiami.com. Admission is free.