There's nothing like searching around for that elusive Japanese pressing of Thin Lizzy's Live and Dangerous while a 21st-century garage-punk racket assails your senses. That was the sound greeting shoppers at Main Street's Neptoon Records last Saturday (April 18) as the venerable music outlet celebrated Independent Record Store Day with in-store performances by Midnight Dragon, the Bleeding Horse Express, Captain Dust, Valerie Graham & her Drinking Problems, 100 Monkeys (featuring actor Jackson Rathbone, who plays bloodsucker Jasper Hale in the Twilight films), Thee Manipulators, and the Spitfires:

When I strolled into Neptoon around 2 pm the place was packed, the sidewalk handled the spillover, and the folks sippin' lattes across the street were craning their necks at the commotion. According to Neptoon owner Rob Frith, the store enjoyed its biggest sales day ever, moving mostly new vinyl and limited-edition 45s that were issued specifically for the one-day celebration.

Let's hear it for small businesses that rawk the recession!