Listening room and wine bar Commune ATL opens at Olive and Pine today, May 8, in the same complex as Leftie Lee’s sandwich shop and upcoming cocktail bar and restaurant NiteOwl.
Owned by Zopi Kristjanson and music producer and DJ Chris Devoe, Commune ATL serves a tight menu of small plates with a wine list curated by sommelier Steven Grubbs, formerly of Empire State South. Look for nightly live music by DJs, music artists, and locals spinning vinyls from their extensive collections.
Kristjanson, a musician and events organizer, first met Devoe when the two worked together on a music project for a band nearly two decades ago. The pair struck up an instant friendship, resulting in years of continued musical collaborations with bands and events. Their latest collaboration, however, sees Kristjanson and Devoe as owners of a new music-driven spot in Avondale Estates.
Commune ATL merges music, wine, and food in a space that’s effortlessly cool. Kristjanson and Devoe want Commune to feel as though you’ve stepped into a friend’s chill living room kitted out with a serious Hi-Fi system. (Think low-key house party vibes with a righteous wine list and a shed-load of talented DJs in the booth.)
Starting at 5 p.m., Commune will offer a lineup of local and national DJs, music artists, and music selectors with deep record collections producing nightly soundtracks spanning a variety of musical genres. One night might feature a mix of funk, soul, and Afrobeats, while another night could offer listeners psyche rock, glam, and punk music.
“Certain music will bring out different audiences, but we do want to make it a place where people might be exposed to musical genres they’re not familiar with,” Kristjanson said. “We want this to be where DJs and music selectors learn from one another and allow them to explore music more deeply. It’s a highly collaborative space.”
Kristjanson and Devoe designed Commune from the ground up, including its acoustic layout, choice of sound system equipment, and eclectic decor.
Some of the design elements are second-hand or vintage finds. They acquired the banquettes for Commune from Cardinal; a popular cocktail bar that closed at the Beacon complex in Grant Park at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Two 19th-century quilts hang on the walls serving as decor and sound-dampening panels. Other custom, sound-dampening elements affixed to the walls and ceiling also straddle the line between art and utility.
They hired acoustic designer and Cabbagetown resident Shimby McCreery and his company Acustica to customize the acoustics for Commune ATL. McCreery assisted in the sound designs of music halls like the Sydney Opera House.
A small bar beside the DJ booth features a handful of seats, with tables for two, four, and six scattered around the room.
“We’re enclosing you in kind of a cocoon. It’s intimate and you’re present with your people. All you hear and feel is music and not the outside world,” Kristjanson said.
Part of keeping people continually engaged in the music experience at Commune involves food and wine.
Kristjanson and Devoe tapped Reid Albritton to lead the kitchen. Having previously worked for Chef Steven Satterfield at Miller Union, and now for Chef Christopher Grossman at The Chastain, Albritton highlights local ingredients and brings a seasonal sensibility to the food at Commune.
Expect earthy mushroom pate served with crisp crackers and bagna càuda laced with anchovies and garlic with roasted spring vegetables for dipping. Khinkalis or Georgian soup dumplings are filled with hot broth and a savory meatball. House-made potato chips accompany herb-infused crème fraîche topped with slivers of subtly smoked Georgia trout.
For his wine list, Grubbs wanted to keep it super focused yet approachable in both vintages and price points.
“I’m only putting things on this list that I’m excited about right now, which means it’s going to change often,” Grubbs said, who’s also a musician. “But pricing needed to be fair. We don’t want to alienate anyone. Zopi, Chris, and I are all old punk rockers, so we didn’t want Commune or the wine to be elitist.”
The wine list bounces between the familiar and slightly esoteric, with the price per glass ranging from $9 to $22 and most bottle prices averaging between $30 and $55. All of the wines listed include descriptive tasting notes.
In the collaborative spirit of Commune, Grubbs envisions some nights turning into an impromptu bottle share where people pop over to other tables to pour wine and get to know each other.
“I keep thinking about the phrase ‘let’s go deep’ because it seems so superficial. But after the pandemic, it’s something more,” said Kristjanson. “Screens were such a big part of our lives then and the only way we communicated. People seem hungry now for something more meaningful than online experiences. They want to be moved. Listening to music together can provide that.”
Take a look at more photos of Commune ATL below.
6 Olive Street, Avondale Estates. Enter from Franklin Street. Open Wednesday – Saturday, 5 p.m. to 12 a.m. Reservations highly encouraged. Check the Commune ATL website for the nightly music lineup.