Indie Music and Record Shops to Check out in Illinois and Wisconsin on Record Store Day 2023

Apr 12, 2023

We’re so excited that Record Store Day is back for another year! Founded in 2007 by a group of very enthusiastic indie record store owners, this holiday was intended to share a love of record collecting, vinyl record culture, and music history with others. Since then, the holiday has blossomed into an industry wide favorite, with record companies and artists producing a wide array of super special singles, limited pressing Record Store Day collectible vinyl, and other goodies just for fans.

If you’re on the hunt for a specific pressing, we recommend showing up bright and early. It’s not uncommon for record shops to have lines around the block before opening time! The thrill of the hunt is half the fun, and scoring some prized picks to share with friends and appreciate for the lifetime is all the rest! Plus, it’s a great way to support local commerce and your friendly neighborhood small business owners. Indie record stores are a treasure to behold, and provide such a fun, creative place to visit. That’s why we’re sharing a list of our picks for great Wisconsin and Illinois record shops that are worthy of a little road trip with your pals to make memories with some seriously magical music. Check it out!

Each year a new Record Store Day Ambassador is crowned for the season. This year’s 2023 ambassadors are husband-and-wife duo Amanda Shires and Jason Isbell. And as an extra special treat, they’re releasing “The Sound Emporium EP” as a Record Store Day Release with brand new songs.

Check out these awesome local record shops you can patronize all year round:

Did we accidentally leave your fave local indie music store off the list? Please let us know in a comment so our readers can find and support your faves.