Dropping the needle: Wilmington shops mark Record Store Day
WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) –Record stores across the country opened their doors Saturday to celebrate Record Store Day 2025, an event that began in 2008 to support independently owned record shops.
In Wilmington, Gravity Records on Castle Street featured live DJ sets as part of the celebration. Joshua Stowe was behind the turntables, providing music for shoppers throughout the day.
“This is actual vinyl that we are DJing with…” he said.
Stowe said events like Record Store Day help highlight the role DJs and local shops play in introducing listeners to new music.
“I think that’s one of the main jobs of a DJ is to introduce people to new music. Obviously you want to play stuff that people know, but also it’s kind of nice to educate people on stuff they might not have even thought about.”
He also emphasized the importance of physical media and in-person discovery.
“There’s really something lost with just buying your music online. Um, these are people that live and breathe music every day. They can always hip you to something that you might not have even considered or known about, so it is an invaluable resource.”
Nearby, The Fuzzy Needle — located near the Cargo District — also offered special promotions and hosted a DJ for its customers.
Owner and operator Timothy Jarman has taken part in Record Store Day for the past three years. He spoke about how music brings people together.
“A love of music is one thing that a lot of people have in common and, uh, it’s one of those things that is really awesome to share.”
Jarman also noted how purchasing physical media can directly benefit the artists who create it.
“With streaming, there are so many different streaming services. A lot of people know that artists and creatives get marginal amounts of money from that, so it is just a great way to pay homage and support working musicians and people who love music and art.”
Record Store Day is a semi-annual event held each April and again on Black Friday in November.
