The New In Your Ear is Way More Than a Record Store

Left to right: In Your Ear’s Alex Fisher, Chris Zingg, David Silva and Taylor Benton.

A former Warren theater has started a new life as a record store. But it’s so much more than a shop to buy and listen to vinyl; it’s relaunching as a live music and theater venue early this fall.

What was once the beloved 2nd Story Theater in Warren is evolving into In Your Ear, what I can best describe as a museum of purchasable records with sitting areas, rare art, music memorabilia and listening stations, which will soon be flanked by a full bar and restaurant component and the focal point, a live music stage.

The In Your Ear project is a huge undertaking by four co-owners: Barrington resident and music industry entrepreneur David Silva, who has a background as an executive at Atlantic Records; Chris Zingg, also owner of In Your Ear Records; operating manager Taylor Benton, who is running the bar component; and Alex Fisher, who is in charge of programming and development for the venue. Silva has been into music since he started playing instruments at four years old, and though he never signed his band later in life, he ended up working in the music business.

“I spent my time between New York City and here. I live in Barrington with my family,” Silva says. “Another cool thing is because of the connections that we have made –and I say this humbly – we work with a lot of major artists that normally wouldn’t come here to play, but if they have a residency at a bigger venue, they might do more intimate shows here.”

Silva and Zingg have known each other for nearly twenty years through the record store. Zingg opened In Your Ear in 1982 as a cult-favorite record store in Boston, then expanded with a second location on Thayer Street in Providence. It later moved from Thayer Street to Main Street in Warren, and in 2022, he closed the Boston store. Zingg opened the second Water Street location next to the Guild in Warren during the heat of COVID-19, in hopes that they could one day host some live music events there; unfortunately, they couldn’t get approval for live music. Before their lease was up, they heard the former 2nd Story Theatre location was still available. It was a spot they had already been eyeing for years, after it closed five years ago and remained vacant.

Customers browse the shop.

“A friend of ours mentioned this was still available, so we dove in and here we are,” Silva says in his office inside the former theater, surrounded by the team members who helped make it happen. His office is decorated with beautiful artwork by Shepard Fairey and music memorabilia including backstage passes to shows like Counting Crows, signed autographs from musicians, a full mural and shelves holding thousands of record albums. “It seemed to make sense, because we wanted to do live music and expand upon the record store, and we loved the concept of doing a vinyl bar because we are obsessive vinyl collectors.”

The bar at In Your Ear.

Zingg says the performance space is perfect for their vision, and the whole venue currently houses more than 100,000 records. “It will be even more perfect once we’re done with renovations,” he says. “The mix of the bar concept and records is something that I’ve been thinking about for awhile and it’s coming together in perfect timing.”

Silva and Zingg met Benton while Benton was running the Guild next door to the Water Street store. “We would go over there and have some beer and that’s how it started,” Silva adds.

Benton is charged with melding the record store with the bar, coining it a vinyl bar, which will open soon. “The vinyl bar theme is not new, but it is an underutilized bar design that I think has more potential than we realize,” Benton says. “The vision is that you can come into the bar, grab a drink, browse the record store with a drink in hand, pick the record you want, then come back into the bar, and there will be a listening station.”

He plans to focus on offering brews from local craft breweries and a rotating list of music-themed cocktails. Benton adds that the store will also have several listening stations where you can quietly listen with headphones, or bring a record into the bar and ask the bartender to play it. “We will have vinyl nights and then plenty of live events for the bar: live music, karaoke, acoustic stuff down here,” Benton adds.

Upstairs is a whole other story; a second story, if you will. Currently, what was once the 2nd Story Theater stage is completely gutted; the seats have been pulled out and a new stage is being built with stadium-style seating that rises on an angle to allow all viewers an excellent view. This venue – which they say should be ready in five weeks – will host many live bands, both big national names and local favorites, as well as nonprofit events and a theater group for neurodivergent adults. There’s even going to be a loft apartment where visiting musicians can stay.

The stage area.

In Your Ear also plans to offer the space pro bono to nonprofits with an arts or music connection. “Everything we will do will have a philanthropy outlet. It’s very important to all of us that we give back. It’s always been about music and arts,” Silva says. “For me, it’s important to create great experiences in theater and music, especially for communities that are underserved.”

Fisher will be in charge of programming and development. He was involved in music education in Los Angeles, and hopes to bring a concept here, where they can film interview segments with bands, ask about their lives, challenges they’ve faced and obstacles they’ve overcome. The theater will be fully streamable, equipped with 360-degree video and a best-in-class sound system from Atlantic Records that allows for recording studio quality and podcasting production.

While the new In Your Ear venue will host a record store, bar and music and theater venue, the In Your Ear record store on Main Street will remain open. That store will be more of a bargain outlet type of atmosphere, while the Market Street venue feels contemporary but with a historic edge. The hospitality component has several vintage and antique touches, including a beautiful wooden engraved bar that was transported here from a New York City restaurant on a flatbed truck. Purple globe pendant lights glow above the bar. Signed records and autographs decorate the walls. Tables wait for music fans to bond over craft beers and music-themed cocktails.

They have a full commercial kitchen downstairs, which they hope to use as an incubator space. They plan to welcome in pop-up chefs and food trucks to serve food that might reflect the live music acts. The team stresses that they want In Your Ear to be a destination for locals and travelers alike. “This is going to be a one-stop shop for fun,” Benton says. “You can come get a record, you can listen to a record, hang out for a few hours, and then there might be a show later that night upstairs.”

The commercial kitchen is located downstairs.

28 Market St., Warren, 401-245-9840, iye.com