Cactus Records readies second Record Store Day ‘Drops’ event
Event will feature hundreds of exclusive music releases & live music
After a hugely successful first event last month, Cactus Records & Gifts, a staple of the Downtown Bozeman music and arts scene for over 50 years, is gearing up for Record Store Day Drops #2 on Saturday, July 17th.
While the first Drop date at Cactus was somewhat more subdued (though well-attended) than their pre-pandemic Record Store Day celebrations, the hard-working friendly folks at Cactus are working on a much bigger celebration for number two.
Historically, Record Store Day has seen Cactus host several live music performances throughout the day, and while the lineup is still being finalized, a similar format as previous years is in its planning stages. Check Cactus Records’ social media pages in the days preceding the big event for updates.
The upcoming Drop will also be special because it is being held in honor of BaconBit, Cactus Records’ much-loved store dog of 12 and a half years who passed away two days after the June event.
Record Store Day is highlighted by the release of over 200 limited-edition, collectible new and newly reissued record releases that are exclusive to independent record stores like Bozeman’s Cactus Records. Cactus has ordered most of these in order to please even the most discerning of music collectors, though as the pressings are limited, so are the quantities available, and fans are encouraged to show up early. Customers are only allowed 1 copy of each title they purchase.
Some of the more sought-after titles for July releases come from artists like The Allman Brothers Band, Crosby Stills Nash & Young, The Cure, Miles Davis, Bill Evans, Foo Fighters, Aretha Franklin, Jerry Garcia Band, Gorillaz, The Infamous Stringdusters, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Lamb of God, Mastodon, Pearl Jam, John Prine, Queen, The Ramones, The Rolling Stones, St. Paul & the Broken Bones, St Vincent, Slightly Stoopid, and Amy Winehouse. A complete list of releases for this Drop Date can be found at www.recordstoreday.com.
The reason for two different Record Store Day “Drops,” as opposed to the typical single day, is in response to Covid-19. “Things are improving but in this continued ‘unprecedented global situation,’ where production and shipping is still in a state of struggle, the focus of these two Drops dates is on bringing revenue to the stores – as well as to the artists, labels, distribution and every other business behind the scenes making record stores work, in a fiscally and socially responsible way,” reads the official event website. “The spread of titles over two dates in two months allows some flexibility for the struggling vinyl pressing plants and distribution companies as well as provide stores time to prepare budgets and place the orders that safely get music into the hands of customers on a larger than normal release day.”
Cactus Records & Gifts is a locally owned record store located in Downtown Bozeman. Since its origin in the early 1970s, Cactus has been a gathering place for music lovers, counter-culture and pop-culture enthusiasts, and the offbeat. Learn more at www.cactusrecords.net. •
