Saint John’s Port City Royal is bringing vinyl enthusiasts together through the Port City Spinners Club.
Love it or hate it, there’s no arguing the fact that vinyl is back in a big way. In the past few years New Brunswick has witnessed ‘the return of the record’ with bands pressing new releases on vinyl and new shops opening their doors to fulfil the growing demand for this time-tested format. And as vinyl’s popularity continues to grow, so do vinyl lovers’ attempts to celebrate, showcase or otherwise highlight their preferred format.
This week, Port City Spinner’s Club will host its third event at Saint John’s Port City Royal, a relatively new addition to Saint John’s thriving uptown restaurant scene. The Spinners Club was created as a way for vinyl enthusiasts to come together, talk music and enjoy a few records while they’re at it.
“Part of the restaurant’s purpose is to start conversations, whether it be food, drink or music,” said Port City Royal’s owner and head chef, Jakob Lutes. “Using only vinyl aids in this, while also playing to the tactile aesthetic of the restaurant. Corey Bonnevie, ‘the guy from Backstreet Records’, wanted to elaborate on this by providing an evening where record nerds have the ability to meet, talk and share. The reception has been positive and we are looking forward to what the Spinners Club becomes.”
“Port City Royal is a restaurant that exclusively plays LPs,” said Bonnevie, who spins records at the events. “It somehow came up for me to do a DJ night but I didn’t want to be a real DJ so I invited people to bring records. It’s weird when someone hands me a record with no requests.”
As the event continue to develop, Bonnevie hopes to eventually host themed nights focusing on a specific genre or format such as 7” singles. So far, the only setback he has experienced is that age-old condition that all record collectors seem to suffer from, something Bonnevie refers to as “psychotic obsessive behavior”.
“I have a shit load of records,” he said, “but after I started DJing, I had this feeling of dread about my collection. The ‘I don’t have enough’ feeling.”
Port City Spinners can expect to hear a little of everything this Friday night when Bonnevie takes to the decks. Also, Fredericton’s Red Rover Ciderhouse just announced they’ll be hosting a vinyl night of their own. If you’re in Fredericton on Friday, check it out.
Port City Spinners Club | July 15, 2016 | Port City Royal, Saint John | 10 p.m. | View Event
Vinyl Night at Red Rover Ciderhouse | July 15, 2016 | Red Rover Ciderhouse, Fredericton | 7 p.m. | View Event
