Last Updated on November 16, 2022, 1:47 PM | Published: November 15, 2022
OKLAHOMA CITY — Through an unassuming door beside Saj Lebanese Cuisine in Automobile Alley, and up an equally unassuming staircase, you’ll find a drinks-and-music destination a little different from the others in OKC.
At one end of the room, there’s a simple, almost makeshift bar setup with a selection of beers and seltzers pulled from an old, white fridge and a menu of fantastic craft cocktails brought up from the cigar bar downstairs.
That’s all fine and well-tended, but it’s what sits at the other end of the room that really matters.
There’s no stage for bands, no podium for lecturers, and no screen for movies. The couches and comfy chairs are all oriented to face the skyline framed through the second-story windows, and just beneath, the stars of the space:
Two whopping JBL hi-fi speakers flanked by two breathtaking, mammoth vintage Klipschorns – a home audio history buff’s dream – all driven by a beautifully glowing tube amplifier to present the night’s lineup of records played on the belt-drive mechanical masterpiece that is a Music Hall MMF-11 turntable.
This is ListenUpOKC, a “vinyl bar” where patrons can drink, chat, and browse records and stereo equipment for sale, but more than anything, they can sit and just listen to music in a way that is mostly missing from the experience these days.
The mastermind behind this operation is Jay Shanker, Yale and NYU grad, respected, longtime Los Angeles-based entertainment lawyer, and Oklahoma native that’s been collecting and geeking out over music and home stereo equipment for practically his entire life.
“This space belonged to a winery before we moved in,” Shanker told me. “They had this big humidor built into the wall, and it was just perfect for me to bring in some of my record collection, which of course my wife was thrilled about. She gets her closet back now.”
When Shanker says “’some” of his record collection, that’s reason to pause. The glass doors enclose a set of racks housing hundreds of records, covering everything from rock and pop to jazz, classical, Broadway show tunes, and more, all ready to take their place in one of the bar’s “playlists.”
“We tend to do these curated playlists and theme nights,” Shanker said, “just so it’s not everyone coming in and saying ‘can you play this or this?’”
ListenUp has already dedicated entire nights to nearly every genre and stylistic facet of the local music community.
- OKC Philharmonic conductor Maestro Alexander Mickelthwate curated a recent night of classical recordings and discussion.
- Beatmaker Mondays celebrate local hip-hop and EDM artists and the process and art that goes into building and developing their beats.
- Even local radio DJ and host of KOSU’s indie-rock focused “Turn of the Century” Rob Vera is set to not only curate a night of records, but also a listening party for his show at the space on Saturday, November 19th.
When I popped in to check out ListenUp, the night’s playlist was being curated by none other than Shanker’s own brother Thom, a project director for New Media and Cybersecurity at George Washington University and former editor and Pentagon correspondent for The New York Times.
A heady résumé, yes, but his lineup for the night was all about brand-new indie releases, culled mostly from young, exciting acts that he’d caught at this year’s Newport Folk Festival in Rhode Island with his son.
Spinning recent records from Hiss Golden Messenger, Pinegrove, Gang of Youths, and producer extraordinaire Jack Antonoff’s Bleachers, the music was youthful and fiery, even though the listening crowd for the night, as you might expect from a vinyl-focused listening space, skewed clearly older.
Most importantly, it sounded incredible.
The clarity, fidelity, quality, and price tag of the complete stereo setup absolutely dwarf anything that most of ListenUp’s guests are going to get at home, and hearing practically anything played on it – from soft, vulnerable folk to lush, wall-of-sound pop-rock – is a must-have experience for any music fan.
It’s loud, but never harsh, never overbearing, not even close to shrill or distorted. Even at full volume, couples were chatting and people were relaxing and enjoying their company just like if they were lounging around and playing records for their friends at home.
Extolling the sound quality coming out of an ultra high-end record player setup with thousands of dollars in vintage speakers is a fast way to get eyes rolling, but being in that room and hearing that sound is an experience to be had. It’s an immediate reminder of how rarely we consider the artistry and delicate touch that goes into the music that we consume these days, more often than not on our phones and poorly compressed Bluetooth speakers.
But it’s much more than just the sound quality that makes the experience special.
Standing there with a drink, in a comfortable, living room style space, engulfed in music, I watched the people. There was a couple sitting closely together quietly focused on the songs, a group of older friends rapt in discussion of bands and artists from their own pasts, and a mother beaming beside her adult son as he excitedly sang along and showcased his love of the band playing.
I realized how long it had been since I had seen people just enjoying music together.
Concerts can be so much about the crowd and the energy and the in-person physicality. This was just people enjoying music and enjoying one another and talking and drinking and having fun all because of the music they were sharing, and it was beautiful.
Also, it sounded AMAZING. Seriously. You’ve got to hear it.
ListenUpOKC is located at 712B North Broadway in Automobile Alley and is open Wednesday through Saturday every week with a different theme and playlist each night.
For more information, including a regularly updated calendar of upcoming playlists, visit listenupokc.com.
Brett Fieldcamp has been covering arts, entertainment, news, housing, and culture in Oklahoma for nearly 15 years, writing for several local and state publications. He’s also a musician and songwriter and holds a certification as Specialist of Spirits from The Society of Wine Educators.
