Record Store Day was the original cash mob

Recently, people have gotten excited about the phenomenon known as a cash mob. Instead of meeting in a public location to dance and bring a smile to others’ faces (a flash mob,) willing spenders bring cash to a designated small business.

Cash mobs boost small businesses, at a time when the economy means almost everyone is hurting.

But, before the cash mobs took their current incarnation, there was the original cash mob of music fans on Record Store Day. It’s in fifth year, you’ll see music lovers lined up on Saturday, April 21.

Much like a cash mob, the idea is simple: Save up your allowance, pay check or couch cushion coins, gather at your local record store, and shop for deals and special releases.

For record stores, it’s like black Friday at the shopping malls. It’s evolved into an annual event that gave an 8 percent sales bump to stores last year and is celebrated around the world in countries including Brazil, Australia, Romania and Germany.

Chris Brown from Bull Moose, a chain of 10 stores in Maine and New Hampshire, hatched the idea for Record Store Day. In 2008, Record Store Day was kicked off in San Francisco with a special performance by Metallica.

In-store rock shows and exclusive releases have kept the excitement for Record Store Day going. Though some independent stores didn’t survive the chain-reaction of Sam Goody’s and FYEs and Tower Records in the 1980s and 90s, those that thrive today do so in part because of vinyl.

Most music consumers have bypassed CDs in favor of buying single MP3s or subscribing to services like Pandora and Spotify, record stores have found themselves fulfilling niche market of people who appreciate the sound of vinyl and the ability to hold an album in their hands.

More than 300 special offerings will represent a bright spot for the roughly 2,000 participating music retailers.

If you’re in Seattle on Saturday you can check out any of the 23 participating stores.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.