Perth’s first hi-fi vinyl listening bar offers audiophiles, imbibers and revellers alike a reason to celebrate.
It’s dark at Astral Weeks. Very dark. You can barely distinguish the clutter of tables and black bentwood chairs. And the oversized rice-paper pendant shades act more as fashion than function. What sticks out most is a hulking pair of hand-built Line Magnetic speakers and rows of shelves stacked with too many records to count.
Come Friday, a member of staff might be mixing an eclectic list of jazz, soul, disco and reggae while groups of mates pile in for Swan Draught on tap and approachable natural wines.
This is a listening bar above all, the sort readily found in Japan and, increasingly, the likes of London or LA. On a misty Tuesday evening, you may well have the joint to yourself – perfect for nursing mildly sweet junmai sake while the bass on a Kamasi Washington LP knocks your socks off. Come Friday, a member of staff might be mixing an eclectic list of jazz, soul,
disco and reggae while groups of mates pile in for Swan Draught on tap and approachable natural wines.
Writing it off as a gimmick reserved for the cool kids would be tempting were it not for the all-are-welcome energy and genuinely diverse crowd that forms as a result. Sure, snacks and drinks may be limited, but you’ve got what you need for good times. And moreover, you’ve got a bar unlike any other around, shaking up the scene in a clean, comfortable and understatedly cool way.
