Record store owners are the unsung curators of Melbourne's musical identity, and someone's finally giving them the mic.
The Art of Listening, a music club built around deep listening and connection, is taking over Keeper Brewing in Brunswick East for a three-week residency this March. The series puts the spotlight on the people behind some of Melbourne’s most beloved record stores, inviting them to share the tracks that have shaped their lives and careers.
Each session kicks off with an intimate listening experience, where the guest selects and presents a hand-picked run of records with personal stories attached. Once the listening wraps up, the guest jumps on the decks for a two-hour DJ set to keep the room moving.
The Art of Listening
- Keeper Brewing, 122 Weston St, Brunswick East
- 11 March — Paul Allen and Renae Maxwell from Record Paradise
- 18 March — Ari Roze from Plug Seven
- 25 March — Greg Molinaro from Hub 301
- Doors 7pm, sessions start 7:30pm
- Tickets: $10 (musicians), $15 (general), $20 (supporters)
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The three-part lineup reads like a cross-section of Melbourne’s vinyl underground. Record Paradise co-owners Paul Allen and Renae Maxwell have been partners in life and music since their teens, running the beloved Brunswick institution on Sydney Rd that has been trading since 1955. Their store champions independent and post-punk releases and has become a community hub for local album launches and digging sessions across its seven decades.
Ari Roze of Plug Seven Records in Fitzroy brings a completely different sonic world to the turntable. The store owner, DJ, sound engineer and musician runs both a record shop and a 1960s-era analogue recording studio out of Fitzroy, with a focus on funk, soul, world music and jazz. Plug Seven also operates as an independent label, having released acclaimed compilations capturing Melbourne’s groove-led jazz and soul scene.
Closing out the series on 25 March is Greg Molinaro from Hub 301 in Abbotsford, a fixture of Melbourne’s electronic music community. Molinaro ran the iconic Rhythm & Soul store in Prahran from the early ’90s through to 2008 before founding Hub 301 in 2016, specialising in house, techno, disco and soul on vinyl.
The Art of Listening is hosted by creative director Carla Ori and presented in collaboration with Record Paradise.
For more information, head here.
