It’s that time again, Bainbridge.
The time everybody’s been working for, the start of a 24/7 five o’clock world. Thank God it’s — well, you get the idea.
On your mark…
Get set…
Weekend!
And there are no shortage of choice choices and dynamic distractions vying for your time right here on the Rock over the next fun-filled 48 hours. Here are just a few, our Best Bets for your best part of the week:
First, families are invited to share in Earth Day observations at Eagle Harbor Book Company with a photo-filled new offering from Joseph Gaydos and Audrey Benedict, “Explore the Salish Sea: A Nature Guide for Kids,” at the store at 5 p.m. Friday, April 20.
Filled with beautiful photography and engaging narrative, from the authors of “The Salish Sea: Jewel of the Pacific Northwest,” this book is aimed at children ages 7 to 10.
“Explore the Salish Sea” will inspire children to learn about the unique marine ecosystem that encompasses the coastal waters from Bainbridge Island’s Puget Sound shorelines up to the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Georgia Strait of British Columbia.
This book is sure to spark outdoor explorations, covering wildlife habitats, geodiversity, inter-tidal and sub-tidal sea life, and highlights about the unique nature of the Pacific Northwest ecosystem.
Visit www.eagleharborbooks.com to learn more.
Then, on Saturday, get set to spin.
Right round, baby.
Like a record, baby.
That’s right: It’s Record Store Day!
Vinyl-seeking shoppers will find two definitely divergent takes on Record Store Day — the annual international celebration of record collecting culture and the steadfast shops that support it — in downtown Winslow this year, as both Backstreet Beat and Sound City Records are set to be awash with specials and a treasure trove of eclectic, rare pressings.
Record Store Day was conceived in 2007 at a gathering of record store owners as a way to celebrate and spread the word about the unique culture surrounding nearly 1,400 independently-owned record stores in the U.S. and thousands of similar stores internationally. The first Record Store Day took place on April 19, 2008.
Today, there are Record Store Day participating stores on every continent except Antarctica. Special vinyl and CD releases, and various promotional products, are made exclusively for the day each year, and some shops take things further still with festivities that include performances, refreshments, parades, DJs spinning records, and more.
On Bainbridge, Winslow’s two shops are both set to celebrate the industry’s biggest day with similar spirit but very different style.
Backstreet Beat (265 Winslow Way East, Suite 102, down the ivy-adorned alley between Danger and Bainbridge Diamonds & Jewelry), a vintage book, CD and record shop, is an outlier, eschewing the official trappings of the wider Record Store Day event in favor of a more personally-curated spectrum of specials, including a 20 percent discount on every item — CDs and books, too.
Backstreet Beat will open early (at 10 a.m.) in honor of the big day. Visit www.facebook.com/Backstreet-Beat for updates, including previews of Record Store Day specials. Gendreau said he will post photos and descriptions of select titles in the days immediately before Record Store Day.
Sound City Records (130 Winslow Way East, up the stairs beside Millstream, next to Plum), boasting new and secondhand vinyl, toys, collectibles and SubPop merch, has embraced the Record Store Day phenomenon, complete with a slated stock of special, limited pressings and store-wide sales on many new and used records alike.
Sound City Records will also be open early (at 7 a.m.) on Record Store Day. Visit www.soundcityrecords.net to learn more and view upcoming specials.
Also on Saturday, Seattle-based singer/songwriter Shelby Earl and “ambient pop” group Rainwater will share the Space Craft stage for a double header concert event at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 21 at Rolling Bay Hall.
Tickets, $15 in advance, $18 at the door, are available via www.spacecraftpresents.org.
Island Theatre will stage a reading of the award-winning play “Marjory Prime,” penned by Bainbridge’s own Jordan Harrison, at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 21 and Sunday, April 22 at the Bainbridge Public Library.
Admission is free. Donations will be accepted.
In the play, set in the near future, a service that provides holographic recreations of deceased loved ones allows an elderly woman to come face-to-face with the younger version of her late husband.
“Marjorie Prime” was a finalist for the 2015 Pulitzer Prize and winner of the 2016 Horton Foote Prize. It also was the basis for an acclaimed feature film adaptation, a $20,000 Sloane Prize winner at Sundance. Now available to view for free via Amazon Prime, the film stars Lois Smith, Jon Hamm, Tim Robbins and Geena Davis, and was directed by Michael Almereyda.
The Island Theatre reading is directed by Tell Schreiber, and features island actors Pat Scott, Blair Nichols, Mark A. Nichols and Tres Cozine.
The Bainbridge Blab is your one-stop spot to get the 411 on all things 98110. From South Beach to Agate Passage, Battle Point to Rolling Bay, we’ve got the straight skinny on Bainbridge Island: the latest chatter, babble and burble. News, too. Have a tip or a comment for the Blab? Email us at editor@bainbridgereview.com.
