Where did all the records come from? Are they from your collection or an assortment from a few people?Įvery single record in BierWax, Brooklyn is from my personal collection. The vinyl collection at BierWax is mammoth in size and scope. I do feel like we served as inspiration here in the States for other vinyl record bars. A few places opened up right after us and others a few years after us. I'm proud to say we were one of the first. There really were no places modeled after the Jazz Kissa, Japanese vinyl listening room concept in the United States at the time. There was a Korean restaurant in NYC with an insane record collection ( Mono Mono), but it wasn't a bar. In terms of being the first to do it in NYC, when I knew the theme had to be craft beer and vinyl records, I did some research and only found one place in Texas I believe that was similar. Back then, I thought to myself, "Why doesn't something like this exist in NYC, the birthplace of hip hop?" There were DJs spinning actual hip hop vinyl, not Serato, which pretty much wasn't happening much in NYC anymore. One of these places was in Amsterdam, a bar called Cafe de Duivel, which I visited in 2009. There were a few other inspirational moments, places that I visited around the world, that planted a seed that would become BierWax. I realized through homebrewing that I ultimately wanted to open up a spot that curated great beer being made by local "experts." I knew it would take me way too long to become a bona fide brewer myself. I had a few pretty decent batches under my belt however, that was a big crossroad. I also started homebrewing, a way to intimately learn the brewing process. I visited many of these breweries when they first opened and tried to grab photos and interviews with the owners. At the time, NYC went from 5 breweries to 12 or 15 overnight with the passage of new state laws that made it easier to open up breweries in New York State. As a record collector since my late teens and having a love affair with craft beer, which started in my late twenties, I wanted to create something that married these two passions of mine.Īt first, that thing was a blog where I wrote about these two passions, vinyl records/hip-hop and craft beer. At a certain point in my career, as I approached 40 years of age, I had an itch I needed to scratch. I spent nearly two decades in public school education in NYC. What made you brave enough to open up BierWax a few years back? Was there trepidation becoming the first vinyl record, craft beer bar in New York? The unadulterated interview is below and next time you’re in NYC, stop by BierWax at 556 Vanderbilt Avenue in Brooklyn, or pop into their 2 nd location opening soon in Queens to melt the night away. Chris and I shared that connection recently by doing an interview covering a wide array of topics including what it’s like to be a black-owned business in an industry dominated by white men, how race and social justice play into vinyl records and craft beer, and why renewable energy is sourced to keep the records spinning at BierWax each and every day. Instead, he turned it into New York City’s first vinyl record and craft beer bar, two things near and dear to both of our hearts. Places like BaoBab are far less common in the U.S., almost non-existent, but there’s hope! Visionaries understand that proven concepts, even when emplaced in unfamiliar environments, can thrive and even evolve into something new and different.Ĭhris Maestro, founder of Brooklyn’s own BierWax, had a mid-life idea he decided not to squander. Places like BaoBab in Kichijoji embody the communal audiophile experience where music lovers from around the globe can rejoice in super chill atmospheres with vinyl records spinning into oblivion. Vinyl listening bars are commonplace in Tokyo, so much so they’re often considered sacred by the music dwellers inhabiting their space.
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