On April 18, music fans will line up outside Buddha Belly Records in Sayville before sunrise, hoping to get their hands on rare vinyl releases available for just one day each year. Record Store Day is an annual event, first held in 2008, to honor independent record stores and their culture. The event focuses on exclusive vinyl releases made specifically for that day and only available at brick-and-mortar record shops. Owner Michael Gerhardt is preparing for what he expects will be one of the busiest days of the year. Doors will open at 8 a.m., and customers can buy limited-edition records on a first-come, first-served basis. In addition to the exclusive releases, the store plans to host live music, raffles, and giveaways.
“It’s just one big day of people leaving their houses, putting down their phones, and heading to a record store, digging through the stuff, and having fun,” Gerhardt said. “Humans talking to humans and sharing an experience.”
Record Store Day releases are often pressed in very limited quantities. Some titles may only have a few hundred copies made nationwide, so individual stores might receive just a handful of records. Stores usually place orders months in advance, but don’t know exactly how many copies they will receive until shipments arrive. Customers are limited to buying one copy of each title to ensure fair access, and participating stores are not allowed to sell the records online until the next day.
Gerhardt said the day emphasizes the ongoing role independent record stores play in bringing people together through music. For him, the celebration also represents a lifelong bond to music that started long before he opened his own store. Gerhardt grew up in a household where music was always present. His father was a DJ and frequently played music around the house, exposing him to records from a young age. As a child, he recalls being surrounded by music at home and developing an early interest in vinyl. By the time he was about 12, he started actively collecting records.
As a teenager, Gerhardt discovered a shop called Special Sauce in Bayshore that combined a sneaker store with a record shop in the back. The store regularly hosted events like DJ battles, MC battles, and graffiti gatherings, and Gerhardt spent hours there each week learning about music and the broader culture surrounding it. He later became a regular visitor at another Long Island record store, The Cop Shop in Smithtown, which focused heavily on underground hip-hop. Eventually, Gerhardt started helping out behind the counter while still a teenager. Over time, he became more involved with the store, assisting in designing event fliers and working on the website. The experience provided him with early exposure to the music retail industry and to a diverse range of artists and records.
“I just fell in love with it because there was so much stuff I had never even heard of before,” Gerhardt said. “And I just dove into the whole culture of what it was. I really learned a lot during that decade of my life.”
Gerhardt stayed involved with the shop for years before it closed around 2010. During that period, he also worked at a supermarket, a job he held from around age 18 into his late 20s. Although it offered steady pay and benefits, he said it was never something he felt passionate about. A turning point happened when a friend told him that Record Stop, a long-established Long Island record store dating back to the 1970s, was reopening nearby. Gerhardt initially started working there part-time while still holding onto his supermarket job. Soon after the store opened, the owner offered him a full-time position. Leaving a higher-paying union job was a big decision, but Gerhardt ultimately chose to pursue the work he cared about. He later became the store’s manager, overseeing daily operations while managing everything from merchandising and social media to store promotions and new business ideas. Even then, Gerhardt said opening his own record store remained a long-term goal. After years of working in various record shops and understanding how the business works, he decided to take the risk.
“You’ve got to take risks, you’ve got to take chances in life,” Gerhardt said. “And it was one of those things where I was very comfortable and very happy, but I needed to do this. And I felt like, if I don’t do it, I’m never going to know. So, I took the risk, and here I am.”
Just over two years ago, he opened Buddha Belly Records in Sayville. The hamlet of Sayville appealed to him because the town lacked a record store, offering an opportunity to create something local. He also appreciated the store’s layout and the chance to develop a space where people could gather around music. For Gerhardt, vinyl records remain appealing not just because of their sound but also for the experience they offer. Listening to a record involves physically opening the album, placing it on a turntable, and engaging with the music more deliberately. That sense of experience and connection, he said, is part of what events like Record Store Day help preserve.
As the April celebration nears, Gerhardt expects the shop to be packed with collectors, longtime fans, and newcomers browsing through crates of vinyl. He said that for one day each year, the focus shifts completely to the culture independent record stores emphasize: music, conversation, and the shared experience of discovering something new.
“Strongly suggest you get here early,” Gerhardt said. “Bring good vibes, bring good energy, and have fun. And I hope you get what you’re looking for.”
Buddha Belly Records is located at 56 South Main Street in Sayville • (631) 319-1800 • buddhabellyrecords.com
