RSD Black Friday 2023: Where to get exclusive releases, deals and free swag in Phoenix

Ed Masley, Arizona Republic
Updated ·14 min read

Think of Record Store Day Black Friday as a relatively chill alternative to fighting with strangers over the last of the underpriced flat-screen TVs at the big box store while getting a jump on holiday shopping at your local record store (or stores) of choice.

As the folks behind Record Store Day remind us on their website, “Everything you find in a record store (or on a record store’s website) would make a great gift for someone, and it may feel a little extra nice to wrap up and give (or get!) a little something knowing its purchase helps a local, independent store.”

No lies detected here.

Will there be a Record Store Day Black Friday in 2023?

Record Store Day, which falls in April, was launched in 2007 to shine a light on independent record stores.

RSD Black Friday is a natural extension of the concept timed to the start of the holiday shopping season, which of course arrives the day after Thanksgiving.

This year, RSD Black Friday falls on Friday, Nov. 24.

Stinkweeds expands iconic record store: Here's what's new for customers

There are three categories of RSD Black Friday releases

Music fans are sure to give thanks for the wide array of titles hitting record stores on RSD Black Friday.

There are three categories of releases:

  • Exclusives: These titles are physically released only at independent record stores.

  • RSD First: These titles will hit indie record stores on RSD Black Friday but may be released to other retailers or web stores in the future.

  • Limited run/regional focus: These titles are either regionally based and sold at specific stores, or are press runs under 1,000, which means they may be harder to find around the country.

Biggest Zia ever: New Zia Records store in Phoenix is its biggest yet. Here's what to expect

Metro Phoenix stores participating in RSD Black Friday

Here’s a full list of participating stores in metro Phoenix:

Other participating Arizona stores

These Arizona stores are not in metro Phoenix:

Stinkweeds unveiling new expanded space with Meat Puppets

A number of local stores have made plans for RSD Black Friday.

Stinkweeds is seizing the day to celebrate the opening of its new expanded space, unveiling 300-square-feet of additional space for customers and merchandise, with an additional 300-square-feet of office space above that.

For the past four months, the store has been under construction, staying open through the process in a tighter space than ever while the whole back of the store has been walled off.

Now, the temporary wall is coming down, just in time for Black Friday.

As Kimber Lanning, who opened her first Stinkweeds in a Tempe strip mall 18 years ago, said, “The stars are going to be aligned.”

Stinkweeds will be closed on Wednesday, Nov. 22, to allow the employees to move everything around and get the new space organized.

On Friday, Nov. 24, they’re opening early at 8 a.m. with an indoor/outdoor celebration, including additional shopping in the in a shaded portion of the parking lot to allow more room for digging through the thousands of exclusive Black Friday releases they’re expecting.

“We’re also going to be dropping a ton of collectibles that we’ve stored up over the last four to six months,” Lanning says.

As store manager Lindsay Cates says, “It’s like a small Record Store Day.”

The store will have two DJs spinning records, and the Meat Puppets will be there at 11 a.m. for a meet and greet that Cates called: “the flagship event of the day,” signing copies of their limited-edition RSD Black Friday release, “Forbidden Places,” available on vinyl for the first time ever.

“We’ll have tons of stock on that,” Cates said. “And it’s limited to 2,000. So it’s gonna be pretty sought after.”

Stinkweeds will continue celebrating the new space all weekend long.

“We want people to come by and check it out,” Lanning said. “It’s not going to be totally perfect, as construction projects go. But it’s gonna be amazing.”

Details: 12 W. Camelback Road, Phoenix. 602-248-9461.

What ZIA Records has planned for RSD Black Friday

All ZIA locations will open at 9 a.m. with Black Friday weekend sales continuing through Sunday.

Sales range from "buy three pre-owned items, get one free" to "buy two new Funko Pop figures, get one free."

They're also releasing a new long-sleeve ZIA shirt for $25 and customers can win a ZIA shopping spree (in the form of a $100 gift card).

Zia Bethany Home: 6135 N 35th Ave

Zia Mill Avenue: 3201 S. Mill Ave, Tempe.

Zia Thunderbird: 2510 W. Thunderbird Road, Phoenix.

Zia Chandler: 3029 N. Alma School Road.

Zia Mesa: 1302 S. Gilbert Road.

The 'In Groove' livestreaming the whole event

Store owner Michael Esposito said he plans to carry all the RSD exclusives and the store will open early at 8 a.m. with pastries and muffins from Noble Bread.

He'll also livestream the entire day.

"That's pretty popular for us," he said.

"We've been doing that for about four years. People follow along around the world. I'll have about 40,000 views on that stream, 600 people at one time. So consumer voyeurism is quite popular. People want to see how the first guy in line is spending. It's good fun."

Details: 3406 E. Thomas Road, Phoenix. 602-957-2453.

Asylum Records will have rock legends and Leatherface

Asylum Records will have meet and greets with Michael Bruce, a founding member of the Alice Cooper group; Jeff Young and David Ellefson of Megadeth; and Mark Burnham, who stars as Leatherface in the latest chapter of the "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" franchise.

Details: 2990 N. Alma School Road, Suite No. 5, Chandler. 480-964-6301.

Candy & Records bringing in the vinyl DJs

Candy & Records will have two DJs spinning vinyl and is giving away grab bags full of what co-owner Monica Golembiewski promises will be "some cool swag we've received from different record labels."

The store will have some of those RSD exclusives, too.

Details: 9402 N. Central Ave., Phoenix. 602-312-4805.

The Record Room's storewide sale

The Record Room isn't bothering with RSD exclusives for Black Friday. But there's a storewide sale. Everything is 20% off.

Details: 2601 W. Dunlap Ave., Phoenix. 602-460-0040.

Will all participating stores carry all RSD Black Friday releases?

Short answer? No, of course not.

Some will, but selection will vary from store to store, depending on what they think their customers may want. Each store makes its own decisions as far as what titles to order.

RSD 2023 Black Friday list

This is the full list of titles scheduled to be released on RSD Black Friday 2023:

  • 13th Floor Elevators “Bull of the Woods” (LP)

  • All Time Low “Alive at Wembley” (LP)

  • Anvil Cat “From Studio 4” (12" EP)

  • Chet Baker Trio “Chet's Choice” (Double LP)

  • The Beach Boys “The Beach Boys' Christmas Album” (LP)

  • Beast Coast “Escape From New York” (Double LP)

  • The Beatnuts “Intoxicated Demons” (LP)

  • Jeff Beck “Tribute” (12" EP)

  • Andrew Scott Bell “Winnie The Pooh: Blood and Honey” (Original Motion Picture Score) (LP)

  • Dierks Bentley “Up On The Ridge (10th Anniversary Edition)” (LP)

  • The Black Angels “Levitation Sessions” (Double LP/DVD)

  • Blood, Sweat & Tears “What The Hell Happened To Blood, Sweat & Tears (Original Soundtrack)” (Double LP)

  • Blue Coupe “When Legends Collide” (CD/DVD)

  • Blxst “Just For Clarity 2” (12" EP)

  • The Bottle Rockets “Bottle Rockets (30th Anniversary)” (LP)

  • Marion Brown & Leo Smith “Creative Improvisation Ensemble” (LP)

  • The Dave Brubeck Quartet “Live From The Northwest, 1959” (LP)

  • Buckcherry “Time Bomb” (LP)

  • Carter Burwell “Blood Simple (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)” (LP)

  • C-Bo “Gas Chamber” (LP)

  • Terry Callier “Speak Your Peace” (LP)

  • Matt Cameron “Gory Scorch Cretins” (12" EP)

  • Captain Beefheart And The Magic Band “Shiny Beast (Bat Chain Puller) [45th Anniversary Deluxe Edition] (Double LP)

  • Eric Carr of KISS “Rockology: The Picture Disc Edition” (LP)

  • Eric Carr of KISS “Rockology: The CD Picture Disc Edition” (CD)

  • Coheed and Cambria “Live at the Starland Ballroom” (Double LP)

  • Collective Soul “Live At The Print Shop” (LP)

  • The Colourfield “The Very Best Of” (LP)

  • Cypress Hill “Black Sunday Remixes” (12" Single)

  • CZARFACE “Czartificial Intelligence” (LP)

  • De La Soul “3 Feet High and Rising” (12 x 7" Box Set)

  • Death “Individual Thought Patterns” (LP)

  • Bo Diddley “I'm A Man: Chess Masters, 1955-1958” (four-LP set)

  • Digital Underground “The Body Hat Syndrome (30th Anniversary)” (Double LP)

  • Micky Dolenz “Puts You To Sleep” (LP)

  • Eric Dolphy “Iron Man” (LP)

  • The Doors “Live In Bakersfield” (Double LP)

  • The Doors “Live In Bakersfield” (Double CD)

  • Dr. Dre “The Chronic (30-Year Anniversary Edition)” (CD)

  • Dungen “4” (Double LP)

  • Justin Townes Earle “Live at Grimey's” (LP)

  • Justin Townes Earle “Yuma” (12" EP)

  • Electric Blood “Transfusion” (Double LP)

  • The English Beat “I Just Can’t Stop It (Expanded)” (Double LP)

  • Enon “Believo!” (LP)

  • Bill Evans “Tales: Live In Copenhagen (1964)” (LP)

  • Gil Evans & Ten “Gil Evans & Ten (Mono Edition)” (LP)

  • Faces “Had Me A Real Good Time… With Faces! In Session & Live at the BBC 1971-1973” (LP)

  • Kelly Finnigan “A Joyful Sound 45 Box Set”(5x7" Box Set)

  • L FISHER & Aatig “Take It Off (Bucket Hat Picture Disc)” (10" picture disc

  • The Flaming Lips “Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots - Live at the Paradise Lounge, Boston Oct. 27, 2002” (LP)

  • K.Flay “It's Been So Long” (7” picture disc)

  • The Fleshtones “Stocking Stuffer (15th Anniversary)” (LP)

  • Fraternity “Second Chance” (Double LP)

  • Jerry Garcia & David Grisman “So What” (Double LP)

  • Jerry Garcia & John Kahn “Pure Jerry: Marin Veterans Memorial Auditorium, San Rafael, CA - February 28, 1986” (Double LP)

  • Goo Goo Dolls “Goo Goo Dolls” (LP)

  • Goodie Mob “Soul Food” (Double LP)

  • Dexter Gordon & Slide Hampton “A Day In Copenhagen” (LP)

  • Gov't Mule “Time of the Signs” (12" EP)

  • Grateful Dead “Fillmore West, San Francisco, CA 3/2/1969” (Five-LP set)

  • Chico Hamilton “The Master (50th Anniversary Edition)” (LP)

  • Gary Hoey “Hark! The Ho Ho Hoey Hits!” (LP)

  • The Hold Steady "The Death of the Punchline"/"Radar & Leda" (7" Vinyl)

  • John Lee Hooker “Live at Café Au Go Go” (LP)

  • Illenium “Fallen Embers (Deluxe)” (Double LP)

  • INXS “Shabooh Shoobah Rarities” (LP)

  • iwrestledabearonce “It's All Happening” (LP)

  • David J “Tracks From The Attic” (Three-LP set)

  • Ahmad Jamal “Emerald City Nights: Live At The Penthouse (1966-1968)” (Double LP)

  • Jesus Lizard “Blue” (LP)

  • Joan Jett & The Blackhearts “Mindsets” (LP)

  • Jonas Brothers “The Family Business” (Double LP)

  • Norah Jones “Playing Along” (LP)

  • Noah Kahan “Cape Elizabeth EP” (LP)

  • Lenny Kaye/Cedar Sparks “Holiday Split” (7" Single)

  • Mike James Kirkland “Hang On In There” (LP)

  • Kix “Cool Kids (40th Anniversary Edition)” (LP)

  • The Knack “Countdown Live 1980 (LP)

  • Konami Kukeiha Club “Konami Classics: The Best of the NES” (LP)

  • Amos Lee “Honeysuckle Switches: The Songs of Lucinda Williams” (LP)

  • Jerry Lee Lewis “At The Palomino Club” (Double LP)

  • Lil Wayne “I Am Music” (Double LP)

  • Limp Bizkit “Rock Im Park 2001” (Double LP)

  • Limp Bizkit “Rock Im Park 2001” (CD)

  • Linkin Park “Lost Demos” (LP)

  • Little Feat “Live at Manchester Free Trade Hall 1977” (Triple LP)

  • Los Lobos “Kiko (30th Anniversary Deluxe Edition)” (Triple LP)

  • Madlib “Before The Verdict (with Guilty Simpson)” (Double LP)

  • Post Malone “The Diamond Collection” (Double LP)

  • The Mamas & The Papas “The Mamas & The Papas: Live At The Monterey International Pop Festival” (LP)

  • Aimee Mann “Dead Eyes” (7" Vinyl)

  • Les McCann “Never A Dull Moment! Live From Coast To Coast (1966-1967)” (Triple LP)

  • JD McPherson “The Warm Covers LP” (LP)

  • Meat Puppets “Forbidden Places” (LP)

  • Charles Mingus “Incarnations” (LP)

  • Joni Mitchell “Court and Spark Demos” (LP)

  • The Monkees “The Monkees” (LP)

  • Wes Montgomery/Wynton Kelly Trio “Maximum Swing: The Unissued 1965 Half Note Recordings” (Triple LP)

  • Motley Crue “Too Young To Fall In Love EP” (12" EP)

  • John Murphy “The Guardians Of The Galaxy Holiday Special (Original Soundtrack)” (LP)

  • My Morning Jacket “Happy Holiday!” (LP)

  • Napalm Death “From Enslavement to Obliteration” (LP)

  • Nas “I AM… Autobiography” (Double LP)

  • Willie Nelson “Shotgun Willie (50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition)” (Double LP)

  • Ocote Soul Sounds “El Nino Y El Sol (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)” (LP)

  • Gram Parsons and the Fallen Angels “The Last Roundup: Live from the Bijou Café in Philadelphia March 16th 1973” (Double LP)

  • Lee "Scratch" Perry & Keith Richards “SCRATCH'D” (12" EP)

  • Oscar Peterson “Con Alma: The Oscar Peterson Trio -- Live in Lugano, 1964” (LP)

  • Kim Petras “Problématique” (LP)

  • Phoenix “Winter Solstice” (7" Vinyl)

  • Piper “Summer Breeze” (LP)

  • Polo G “Die A Legend” (LP)

  • Margo Price “Strays (Live At Grimey's)” (LP)

  • Prince “Gett Off!” (12" Single)

  • Rilo Kiley “Under The Blacklight” (LP)

  • Ripple “Ripple” (LP)

  • Olivia Rodrigo “GUTS: the secret tracks” (12" EP)

  • Leon Russell “Hank Wilson Vol. II” (LP)

  • Sacrilege BC “Party With God + 1985 Demo” (Double LP)

  • Dan Sartain “The Lost Record” (LP)

  • Schoolly-D “Schoolly-D” (LP)

  • Screaming Trees “Live At Egg Studios” (LP)

  • Shabazz 3 “Late Nite With Shabazz 3” (Double LP)

  • Ravi Shankar & Ali Akbar Khan “In Concert 1972” (Double LP)

  • Sia “Everyday Is Christmas (Snowman EP)” (12" EP)

  • Alan Silvestri “Death Becomes Her (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)” (LP)

  • Skid Row “B-Side Ourselves EP” (12" EP)

  • Slaughter To Prevail “Live in Moscow” (LP)

  • Souls of Mischief “93 'Til Infinity (The Remixes)” (Double LP)

  • Sparks “Live At The Record Plant 1974” (LP)

  • Spice 1 “187 He Wrote: 30th Anniversary” (Double LP)

  • Splinter “The Place I Love” (LP)

  • Steeler “Steeler” (LP)

  • Billy Strings "California Sober" featuring Willie Nelson (12" Single)

  • Sweet “Level Headed (Alt. Mixes and Demos)” (LP)

  • Tank And The Bangas “Floating” (LP)

  • Tantric “Tantric” (LP)

  • Taproot “Blue-Sky Research” (LP)

  • Three 6 Mafia “Da Unbreakables” (Double LP)

  • Cal Tjader “Catch The Groove: Live At The Penthouse (1963-1967)” (Triple LP)

  • Turnstile x BADBADNOTGOOD “New Heart Designs” (12" EP)

  • U2 “Under A Blood Red Sky” (LP)

  • Ultravox “Quartet (Steven Wilson Remix)” (Double LP)

  • Ultravox “Quartet (Steven Wilson Remix)” (Double CD)

  • Various Artists “Asteroid City (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)” (Double LP)

  • Various Artists “Black Jazz Records -- The Complete Singles” (Double LP)

  • Various Artists “The D-Vine Spirituals Story, Vol 3” (LP)

  • Various Artists “Istanbul 70: Psych, Disco, Folk Edits by Barış K Vol I-VI” (Double LP)

  • Various Artists “Jazz Dispensary: At The Movies” (LP)

  • Various Artists “Judgment Night Soundtrack” (LP)

  • Various Artists “Kevn Kinney Tribute” (LP)

  • Various Artists “Light In The Attic & Friends” (Double LP)

  • Various Artists “Noise for Now: Volume 1” (LP)

  • Various Artists “Punk Goes Christmas” (Double LP)

  • Various Artists “Red Hot & Ra: Nuclear War” (Double LP)

  • Various Artists “Rostrum Records 20” (Double LP)

  • Various Artists “Soul Jazz Records Presents STUDIO ONE KINGS” (Double LP)

  • Various Artists “Tuff City Salutes Hip Hop 50: The DJ Jams” (LP)

  • Various Artists “Tuff City Salutes Hip Hop 50: The Solo MC Jams” (LP)

  • Various Artists “Tuff City Salutes Hip Hop 50: The MC Crew Jams (LP)

  • Various Artists “Tuff City Salutes Hip Hop 50: The Female MCs” (LP)

  • Various Artists “Written In Their Soul – The Hits: The Stax Songwriter Demos” (LP)

  • Virulence “If This Isn't A Dream…” (LP)

  • War “The World Is A Ghetto (50th Anniversary Collector’s Edition)” (Five-LP set)

  • The Waterboys “This Is The Sea (Fast Version)” (10" Single)

  • Wendy O. Williams “Maggots: The Record” (LP)

  • X “Ain't Love Grand” (LP)

  • X-Cops “You Have The Right To Remain Silent” (LP)

  • YUNGBLUD “21st Century Liability (5 Year Anniversary Edition)” (LP)

  • Rob Zombie “Lunar Injection Kool Aid Eclipse Conspiracy” LP

Reach the reporter at ed.masley@arizonarepublic.com or 602-444-4495. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @EdMasley.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: RSD Black Friday 2023 deals, exclusives in Phoenix