Just last week the collective of individuals who operate the record store, venue, and label 1-2-3-4 Go! Records announced that they will be expanding their Oakland-based operation across the bridge to San Francisco. After a week of cryptic messages about their new SF location, the address was finally revealed to be 1034 Valencia St – a spot conveniently located near BART and the plethora of delicious food the Mission has to offer.

The expansion is a collaboration with long time visual entertainment suppliers Lost Weekend Video – partly as a joining of forces to combat the increasingly unrealistic cost of renting space in San Francisco. The sharing of space likely means the SF location won’t double as an all-ages venue like its Oakland counterpart, but either way it’s inspiring to see two groups of do-it-yourself business owners refusing to let the fallout of SF’s tech boom dictate where they lay their roots.

Speaking from personal experience, the record store offers a wide range of genres, and while functioning as mainly an underground punk and indie venue, carries a fair amount of hip-hop, electronic, and experimental music as well. The Oakland location is also always on trend with the ebb and flow of the local scene – carrying cassingles, demo tapes and 7″ records by new projects that are usually not available digitally. There’s no doubt the new location will be just as on point, and apparently LWV is known for carrying impossible to find films, making this spot a must for true collectors and anyone who nerds out about every nook and cranny of an artists catalogue.

If all goes according to plan the soft opening is set for April 1, and another on April 4 with vegan pastries provided by Hella Vegan Eats. HOWEVER, the massive, must attend grand opening will be held on Record Store Day (April 18). Cosmic American “Voodoo Van” will be catering this one, so don’t worry if you forget to eat. They still need help filling out the new locations stock, so swing by and sell/donate records you aren’t spinning, or snag a shirt and rep the team.

It’s awesome to not only see Go! expanding and joining SF’s other vinyl curators, but also helping out the legendary Lost Weekend Video. They’ll be welcomed with open arms.