Chicago isn’t the only proud bastion and happy beneficiary of one of the best of America’s remaining indie record stores: On Saturday, Culture Shock Clothing & Records celebrates its first 10 years as a key hub for the Rockford music community.

“Originally, I just wanted a place to sell band t-shirts, stickers, and music and I was tired of driving out of town to find those things.” says Skyler Davis, who opened the store with his best friend Lauren Vanags when both were barely in their 20s. Since then, they’ve survived catastrophic floods, several moves (the store is now on Charles Street), and, of course, the vagaries of an ever-changing and unforgiving music business in the digital age.

“Some of the customers who shop here today have been shopping here since the humble beginning,” says Vanags. “During our worst times, while we were literally sweeping debris and shoveling water out of our store [and] assuring our guests we would get more product soon, customers promised us they’d come back… and they did, again and again for 10 years.”

To celebrate this milestone, Culture Shock will be open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, hosting a tent sale with specials including buy-one-get-one-half-off off vinyl, and live music from Bloomington’s Austin Lucas, Adam Faucett Music from Arkansas, Peoria’s Jared Grabb, Chicagoan Bill Tucker, and hometown heroes Warren Franklin and Derek Luttrell. More info can be found here.

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