WNY Records: New event takes a different spin on DJ-ing

By Yamilla M. Tate

According to Soul Stop Records owner Chris Baran, the idea for a Bring Your Own Vinyl night came from the DJ workshop series the store facilitates and the community it has grown at the shop.

The first BYOV night will be Thursday night from 6 to 9 p.m. at 207 Delaware St. in Tonawanda.

Baran said that through observing the interactions and interests of the people, he realized there’s a want for sharing their vinyl finds. Even if some folks don’t have interest in DJ’ing, they enjoy the idea and act of sharing the sounds they are passionate about. It’s truly a response to the community that’s beginning to blossom at Soul Stop, to open the deck to aspiring DJs, more women in the DJ field, and just plain music lovers looking to spend some time with like-minded individuals.

Baran said that for him, vinyl and music were a private affair. He’d go to shops and individually seek out and listen to his finds. But he’s observed the new generation with an interest in vinyl has to an interest in sharing, especially after COVID. He’s excited at the opportunity to further provide that space through this new event.

The BYOV night will be hosted by Soul Stop employee Andy Pariso. Much like Baran, Pariso’s motivation to host the BYOV night is community. She thinks back to the DJ workshops and how she had very different selections from other attendees, but the same could be said of everyone in attendance. When she pointed out this observation while speaking with Baran, they settled into the idea of hosting this event.

As the host, Pariso is envisioning the event as a social gathering. She sees a space where people can bring something new or they can share something they’re passionate about and engage in a communal listening experience. She hopes the time will lend itself to attendees socializing and looking through selections as people’s picks for the night are listened to and enjoyed.

Both Baran and Pariso are hoping the event becomes a monthly offering at the record store throughout the year.

The store itself has walls decked in vinyl, but also shelves carefully lined with CDs and cassettes, and pockets for careful listening. These are the things that greet you once you set foot in Soul Stop Records.

It’s a record store I’ve been acquainted with since a pop-up event they vended for at Fitz Books & Waffles; it was founded in September 2023. The shop has been a staple in my vinyl searches ever since, so, of course, I was overjoyed when I saw they’ll be hosting a Bring Your Own Vinyl night.

The first thing that must be noted about Soul Stop is its wide variety of selections. Purchases I’ve made throughout the years include Thee Sacred Souls self-titled debut album, Sessa’s “Grandeza,” Bad Bunny’s “Debi Tomar Mas Fotos,” Jungle’s “Volcano,” the Pixies’ “Doolittle” and many more.

The shop is a haven for music lovers and physical media enjoyers beyond vinyl. Its size is perfect for calmly combing through its arrivals, but also for spontaneous conversations with fellow shop goers. It has a station for listening to your selections before or after a purchase, a station for sitting and reading and friendly staff with a great deal of musical knowledge. It’s clear Soul Stop has community in mind.

If you’re not a vinyl collector, stay for the CDs. If you’re not a CD enthusiast either, stay for the cassettes. And if you just love music, then come for sound curation at the hands of like-minded folks.

Yamilla M. Tate is a Buffalo-based writer/poet.