Vinyl and Wine Go Hand In Hand at Commune

The vibe at Commune, an intimate new wine bar and listening lounge at Olive & Pine in Avondale Estates, mixes the secrecy of a speakeasy with the informality of a friend’s record-lined basement. Patterned quilts line the walls, accompanied by vintage artwork and local designs. The sound system is perfectly tuned and a lack of windows lets you lose yourself in the music as you sink into one of the cognac-colored booths.

Ilya Zobanov

Listening bars are part of a growing trend of similar destinations popping up nationwide, including here in Atlanta. Victory Coffee in Inman Park transformed into Stereo earlier this year, and later this summer Atlanta DJ Ree de la Vega is expected to open Pisces, a music-driven restaurant at the Sound Table space.

A rotating cast of local DJs and touring artists slot behind the turntables each week at Commune. The events update regularly and include a diverse selection of music. DJ Saasha Foo spins Balearic house music and downtempo hip-hop, and on another night, Chris Devoe and DJ Cozy Shawn pay homage to late legend Prince.

The soft opening on April 20 featured NYC tastemaker and influencer DJ Alix Brown behind the decks, accompanied by Bardo Martinez of band Chicano Batman and musician Helado Negro. Andre 3000 was spotted at Commune the night before his performance at Jazz Fest, while his bandmate Carlos Niño spun a set of jazz and otherworldly sounds.

Along with the music, wine plays an important role here. On a night of moody jazz, a cool and complex 2021 Nebbiolo d’Alba by Poderi Colla was a popular choice to accompany the musical vibe, revealing its rich palate alongside hushed discussion among patrons. On another night, a garage rock mix seemed to set off a louder crowd and called for a wild and unconventional Rosato Frizzante from Matteo Furlani, which has a unique secondary fermentation that includes the addition of frozen grape must.

“I am DJing wines in a way,” says Steve Grubbs, James Beard Award-nominated sommelier at Commune and Five and Ten, formerly at Empire State South. “I’m not going to play you the hits you wanna hear; I’m going to play you the stuff I think is really cool.”

Grubbs switches out the wine list weekly, much like the records playing at Commune. A selection of local beers and non-alcoholic options including tea, kombucha and mocktails by St. Agrestis and Tilden, two popular non-alcoholic brands, are also on deck. Chef Autumn Jade (of Common Loon, a pop-up at Whoopsie’s) is behind the food menu, and her partner Miranda Vick (of Little Tart and formerly Empire State South) is the pastry chef. Expect rotating seasonal dishes like mushroom tartine, cantaloupe and salami, snapper crudo, and pecan olive oil cake.

Zopi Kristjanson and Christopher Devoe run Commune. The inspiration for the bar came from the Palladium – a former club for the who’s who of the art world in downtown New York in the late ‘70s and ‘80s. Kristjanson envisioned a similar space in Atlanta and shortly after, teamed up with Devoe to create a gathering place for local creatives.

“It just occurred to me that places like clubs and bars are important places for making connections and supporting the creative artistic scene of a city,” says Kristjanson.

Commune is open Wednesday to Saturday, 6 p.m. to midnight, with a rotating DJ lineup and wine list. Reservations are not required.