Towards the back of Oklahoma City’s only vinyl bar sits a large window overlooking the lit up buildings adorning the city’s December skyline. It is a breathtaking view, not because it’s particularly grand or even rare for buildings lining Automobile Alley, but because of its striking intimacy . It’s the perfect view for a space designed to be Oklahoma City’s living room. The SoundBar, the passion project of entertainment lawyer Jay Shanker, subtly sits atop Zamzam Mediterranean Cuisine and Ash Cigar Lounge on Broadway Avenue. While the ascent up to the loft feels eerily quiet, the moment you open the doors you are greeted with whatever song is featured on the night’s themed playlist. As you move through the space and towards the windows in the back, you are enveloped by every note, lyric and breadth of the vinyl playing. On Friday Dec. 5, the theme was “Femme Alt Beat.” Those populating the bar’s numerous couches and tables speckled with art books were accompanied by music from the “boundry-pushing women redefining RB, soul and electronic music.” As you sat just feet away from high-quality speakers playing SZA and overlooked the holiday lights outside (or, perhaps, gazed upon the fractal imagery projected on screens throughout the loft), it was easy to feel carried away from the cold air or everyday worries that felt cumbersome just a floor below. It was this high-end listening experience that Shanker sought when he created the idea for SoundBar. “During COVID, I was listening to a lot of music at home alone, and music is meant to be shared,” he said. “My wife and daughter didn’t exactly like my music or the volume I like to listen to it at. And, I joke––although my wife will deny this joke––that one night she said, ‘You need to get a room.’ So, I did.” For someone who has worked in entertainment law for 45 years and has been collecting vinyl for 60, the bar has an unmistakable touch of sophistication. The walls are lined with boxes holding over 15,000 records for guests to look through, listen to and buy. The sound equipment is of exceptionally high quality. The furniture and decorations are intentionally reminiscent of a well-loved living room, inspiring patrons to linger and admire the hung textiles that Shanker has collected from past travels. The bar’s entirety is representative of its owner’s belief that music is meant to be experienced communally. Public spaces for people to listen to recorded music, especially in a bar-like capacity, are not new. Listening rooms, also known as vinyl lounges, have a vast history that dates back to the mid-20th century. “They emerged in Tokyo in the 1950s, when GIs were headed home from occupation and leaving their audio gear and records, largely jazz and country,” said Shanker. “Taking advantage of the musical detritus left behind, these listening lounges started opening up all over the country, became popularized and continued through the years. Eventually, they evolved into clubs, karaoke and all kinds of other trends. But, the original concept was intimate, like being in a library.” Over the next decades, as Japanese businessmen traveled abroad and American artists began visiting Japan, listening rooms spread internationally. “I visited some of these in my travels,” he said. “I was intrigued, and I had a large record collection that I was looking to share with people.” Oklahoma City’s own iteration of the listening room is a unique take on the social phenomenon. While the sheer volume of vinyl records gives the space a library-esque feel, you won’t be glared at if you strike up a conversation with your neighbor. Rather, the space’s hospitable design naturally fosters community. “Groups of varying sizes can come in and sit with people they’ve never met before, sit with people that they’ve come in with or sit alone while they listen,” Shanker said. The inviting atmosphere attracts diverse clientele spanning age, style, extroversion and music taste. What defines the space, though, is its intimate feel. “If you’re going out with friends to get rowdy, there are better places to do it,” said Shanker. “People come here respectfully, and the respect extends to the fact that we don’t see this as a pickup bar. It’s more of a dating bar. It’s a place for people who want to get to know somebody new. As a result, we get a lot of women who come in because they know that they are going to be respected and can enjoy an evening in a hip environment that gets the culture. That’s gratifying for us to know.” Perhaps, though, your preference is to experience the musical magic alone. Or, maybe, your taste skews more post-punk than the music played in the main room. If that’s the case, your oasis might be the bar’s “Speakeasy.” Tucked behind the bar, the Speakeasy is a small room filled with a variety of vintage audio equipment for sale. “It’s a lot of fun, particularly for the older folks who say ‘I used to own that,’” said Shanker, laughing. “And I respond, ‘Well, don’t call the cops if you see your name on the back.’” The gear is not just for browsing and buying. Whoever finds themselves in the room has the opportunity to play whatever music they want on the high-quality speakers, undisturbed by the sounds of the main room. As the rest of the bar bathed in music by Solange and FKA Twigs on “Femme Alt Beat” night, the Speakeasy felt like it was a handful of sand away from being a private Santa Cruz. Three young men were tossing their heads back laughing, drinking beer and listening to “Santeria” by Sublime at full volume. The sonic separation between the main room and the “Speakeasy” is emblematic of the technical alchemy of SoundBar. Both rooms are outfitted with high-quality speakers and wall decorations that maximize the quality of the soundwaves as they hit your ears.“The magic is these high-fidelity speakers,” said Shanker, pointing to the massive stereo set-up towards the back of the bar. “You can sit 10 feet away, and you’ll be listening at 90 decibels, which is almost club level. But, because there’s no distortion and we have the room tuned with plush wall treatments that help absorb the reverberations, you can sit 10 feet away with music on high and have a conversation at normal volume. You won’t go home feeling that you lost your voice last night speaking with somebody just three feet away.” While the bar typically plays music from its vast vinyl collection, certain nights featuring newer releases––like those played during “Femme Alt Beat” night––require albums not yet included in the physical record library. But, you likely wouldn’t realize that based on sound quality alone. “Even listening to streamed music on an exquisite sound system can be magical,” said Shanker. “It’s the difference between seeing a movie in a theater and then on your phone. The story’s there, but all the magic starts to disappear.” To make sure that every guest can experience their preferred music on the sophisticated speakers, the nightly themes will oscillate between music genres. This month’s lineup included: a night highlighting artists with weekdays in their names, a night dedicated to the “original sounds of Louisiana” like Zydeco, the monthly night devoted to artists celebrating their birthday that month and the famed “Celestial Jukebox” night that allows patrons to play any record from the collection. The diversity of the music played and the relaxed environment has already made SoundBar home to some of Oklahoma City’s social groups. The Okay Chess Club holds frequent get-togethers in the space while a variety of local organizations and nonprofits reserve the main room for private events. Even on regular nights, the bar can be home to anything from spirited conversations to quiet enjoyment of the surrounding sounds. While current-day Automobile Alley is certainly different from the mid-century streets of Tokyo, SoundBar’s reverence for the connection fostered by sharing music is timeless. Like the best living rooms, the bar’s charm comes not from its well-loved furniture and thoughtfully curated art, but its authentic, approachable, and warm atmosphere. The post Step Inside Oklahoma City’s Living Room appeared first on Oklahoma Gazette. ...read more read less