Listening room and wine bar Commune ATL, owned by Zopari Kristjanson and music producer and DJ Chris Devoe, will open in late April at Olive and Pine in Avondale Estates.
In addition to music, Commune will feature a small food menu and a wine list curated by Atlanta sommelier and former Empire State South wine director, Steven Grubbs.
Kristjanson, who grew up in Dunwoody, says she’s been interested in art and music since she was a teen. She started seeing bands play live in the mid-1990s. Later, she joined punk band Vera Fang and collaborated on music projects with groups like Tiger Moon and Warsz. That’s when she met Devoe, now a longtime friend and musical collaborator.
But nine years ago, Kristjanson said she needed a break from performing and doing events. She and partner Stefan Springman, an executive producer on the reality show “Love & Hip Hop“, decided to head to New York. Kristjanson switched career gears. Living an hour outside of New York City, she started working in horticulture and landscape design. After their son was born during the pandemic, Kristjanson and Springman returned to Atlanta. The move back allowed them to raise their son in the city Kristjanson loved, while also reconnecting with friends, family, and the Atlanta music scene, which included Devoe.
“We were hanging out and I told him I wanted to do something here in Atlanta,” Kristjanson says of the impetus behind Commune. “I wanted to open a club, but as a mom, something that made sense for my life. Chris mentioned a listening room or HiFi Bar like in Miami or Eavesdrop in Brooklyn.”
Kristjanson and Devoe met Olive and Pine developer Steven Chan through a mutual friend. Chan, who is also the owner of Tim Drum Asian Kitchen, had been considering adding a gallery or music space to Olive and Pine. The Avondale Estates complex already includes Leftie Lee’s sandwich shop and Wonderful World Coffee, with forthcoming cocktail bar and slice shop Niteowl from the owners of Edgewood Pizza opening right around the same time as Commune.
Chan offered Kristjanson and Devoe the opportunity to build Commune from the ground up. With a raw space, the duo could focus on the music and designing for an optimal listening experience.
“To research, we went to every HiFi bar in New York City and took notes. I went to Tokyo Listening Bar in Mexico City. While all were cool places, a lot of these bars were focused less on the sound and more on the experience,” says Kristjanson.
They hired acoustic designer and Cabbagetown resident Shimby McCreery and his company Acustica to design the listening bar. McCreery had helped in the sound designs of music halls, including the Sydney Opera House. Kristjanson says paying equal attention to the quality of the equipment they use and the sound design of the room provides a better listening experience.
Commune will spin vinyl, stream music, and play CDs, which Kristjanson says “sound amazing” in spaces like the one they’re creating at Olive and Pine. All of the bartenders and servers at Commune are DJs who will fill in between sets.
“Chris and I know a lot of people in the music industry, this includes DJs but also music selectors who have amazing record collections they want to share. Some nights we might showcase a record label. Other nights it might be part of the catalog of a particular artist or music genre like City Pop. Each night will attract a different audience based on the appeal of the programming.”
Kristjanson describes the overall design of the space as Bauhaus meets Afrobeats. Commune, she says, blends Atlanta’s many cultures together. Artwork and quilts will help soften the space, dampening sound and transforming Commune into a cocoon for listening to music. Seating will include platforms with big cushions. Banquettes and brass stools from former Grant Park cocktail bar Cardinal round out the seating at Commune.
Music even threads its way through the food and wine served at Commune. Grubbs is no stranger to the Atlanta music scene. The sommelier has been playing in bands for years. Everything from the choice of wines to the training of staff has been under his direction. Food will include charcuterie from Pine Street Market, local cheeses, Spanish-style picante beans with paprika and olive oil, and meaty Georgian soup dumplings called khinkali. Kristjanson says the menu comprises fattier snacks built around Grubbs’s wine list, not the other way around. It’s all meant to be part of the communal experience she and Devoe hope to offer at the listening room.
“Music has become so ubiquitous in our daily lives. It’s on in the background at the store, on your iPods, and playing on your Instagram posts. It’s everywhere but we’re not really listening,” says Kristjanson. “This is Atlanta and we want to make it truly a local experience because we have so many amazing musicians here and so many people into music. It’s a soulful place. Let’s give them a place to gather.”
Look for Commune to open Wednesday through Saturday, 5 p.m. to 12 a.m.
Related: Stereo brings a coffee shop and listening bar to DeKalb Avenue