Five Minute Friday was forgotten due to late night birthday partying and helping eight little girls learn how to tie-dye. Never mind that I’ve never tie-dyed before until now. We made pink awesomeness together.

But Saturday was the best holiday ever invented… Record Store Day! The glorious day in which we wait an hour and a half just to go inside a record store and rush to find exclusive vinyl treasures and celebrate the magical world of indie music sellers.

Trust me, it’s fun.

This was my second RSD experience, but the first where I knew what I was doing. Lindsay and Sherri joined me. We met up at the lovely Park Ave CDs fairly early, but not early enough to beat the epic line down the street. But somehow, even with the Florida heat and the waiting, it was still fun. People of all ages (and “scenes,” if you will) gathering to pick up some elusive special or other, a local screen printing company making t-shirts in the parking lot, a great live DJ and the friendly PACDs staff making sure every one was taken care of and keeping the chaos to a minimum. We chatted and watched people and tried to guess what they were there to buy. (“What do you think Green Hair Kid is here for?” “My Chemical Romance. And some hardcore stuff.”)

There’s a thrill to it. It reminded me of a music festival, the real kind where you get sweaty and dirty but don’t care because it’s for the love of the music. (made me a little nostalgic for Cornerstone FL actually) Mostly, it feels like belonging, and reminds me once again how deeply music has become a part of my life. It’s not just a nice thing… it’s good and necessary, bringing people together and making the world more beautiful.

I guess, in many ways, a rather large portion of my life is devoted to this art. I can’t make music to save my life. But my day job is soaked in it, I write about it, I travel with it and get it stuck in my head. There’s the music I turn to for nostalgia, or comfort, or clarification, or just to get outside myself and connect with a kindred soul, some I’ve met, many more I haven’t.

Something sacred happens between the notes, and perhaps that’s why we gather around our favorite songs.

Our souls were made to sing.

By the way, this is my RSD haul. Not a whole lot, because I was trying to restrain myself, but I got what I came for…


Anberlin’s Cities double vinyl: the big thing Lindsay and I were aiming for. This album has been a very important part of our lives, and this band was the initial glue of our amazing friendship. And there were two left on the shelf when we made it there. Yes!

The Civil Wars’ Dance Me to the End of Love 7″: My newest musical obsession. And this song, oh, this song. Pretty sure I want to dance to this at my wedding. On vinyl.

Coachella Sampler: One from the freebie table, and my most pleasant surprise. So many good songs on this from a wide variety of genres. So many artists I now think I need to delve further into. Jenny and Johnny, The Swell Season, Cee-Lo Green, Kills… ugh, there’s not enough time for it all, but at least this is a great introduction.

Yep. All in all, a successful day.

Pictures at Lindsay’s blog. I was going to steal them but Tumblr won’t let me. But go visit her anyway, because she rocks. =)