READ: Twist & Shout on the Origin of Record Store Day

Twist & Shout is a Denver staple. The Colfax record store has been around for decades and was even involved in the creation of the annual vinyl-lover holiday, Record Store Day (RSD). The storefront, which was originally Underground Records, opened in 1988 with the help of school-teachers Paul and Jill Epstein. That means that this year, the Denver music store will turn 30. Twist & Shout created a video with Paul recapping the history of the business, which you can check out below.

This year Twist & Shout opens at 8 a.m. for Record Store Day (April 21). Since a line is expected, Illegal Pete’s is giving away free breakfast burritos to the first 100 planning to wait. We talked with Paul and when asked about other fun activities planned at Twist & Shout this Saturday, he said, “We have a whole system of things we do starting with coffee in the morning, candy, giveaways and a million different contests and prizes.”

Record Store Day was founded in 2007 by a group of independent record store owners, including Paul. The holiday, now in its 11th year, is celebrated on every continent except Antartica. According to Paul, the holiday was essential in the revival of vinyl. He said,

It has taken on a life of its own. While I don’t want to say it has single-handedly saved the industry, it has been a deciding factor in bringing the industry back to the consciousness of the general public. The fact that Record Store Day has become this conscious-raising thing worldwide has become very rewarding.” 

This year, Twist & Shout is releasing another “Live at Twist & Shout” record. In the past, the record store has released a live album with Ben Harper, among others, and this year they’re coming out with Jason Isbell Live at Twist & Shout. “Obviously, it was recorded here at the store,” Paul said. “He’s an artist that means a lot to us [and] this has been out of print for a long time.”

Go here to stay up-to-date on event information at Twist & Shout. Check out the full list of RSD releases here.

Paul Epstein. Photo courtesy of Twist Shout Denver