🎵 Now Playing: “Can’t Knock the Hustle” – Jay-Z
What happens when you take an album that people have loved for 30 years, put it on vinyl, and invite an entire room of people to listen to it together from beginning to end? You get Beyond the Singles!
My friends Raigan and Amber are co-creators of a new vinyl listening experience here in Baltimore called Beyond the Singles. The concept is simple but something I think we’ve been missing: instead of listening to individual songs through a playlist or streaming service, you get to sit in a room with other people who love an album just as much as you do and experience the entire project together. Beyond the Singles events happen monthly and sometimes twice a month, and I have the pleasure of being the event coordinator. My job is to help organize the events and make sure everything comes together on the day of the event, but for this particular event, I had an opportunity that made the night even more memorable: I interviewed Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott and his wife, First Lady Hana Scott!
This was the very first Beyond the Singles event, and it was completely sold out and somehow, we even managed to have a celebrity guest for our first night! The event was held at Corkscrew, a Black-owned restaurant in Baltimore, which made the night feel even more connected to the community we were trying to bring together. The album chosen for the inaugural event was Jay-Z’s Reasonable Doubt, which celebrated its 30th anniversary this year. I was actually still in my mother’s womb when the album was released in June 1996, so I have to be honest: I only knew a few of the songs that became more mainstream. Everyone else in that room, however, was definitely a HOV fan.
As soon as the record started playing, people were singing along to the lyrics word for word. People were swaying in their seats, nodding their heads, smiling, and reminiscing. Watching an entire room collectively react to music that meant so much to them was beautiful. I may not have grown up with this album when it was originally released, but being surrounded by people who did gave me an opportunity to experience a piece of that history through them.
That is really the point of Beyond the Singles. In a world where so much of our social interaction happens through a screen, Raigan and Amber wanted to create a space where people could actually be present with one another. Guests are encouraged to get dressed up, enjoy a good meal and cocktail, meet someone new, go on a date, or simply sit with friends and enjoy the music. Before the album begins, conversation starters and icebreakers are placed on the tables to encourage people to actually talk to each other. The goal is not simply to play a record; it’s to create an experience around it and bring people out of their shells.
The music for the evening was provided by ONEs & TWOs, the Baltimore DJ collective I mentioned in my VinylCon post. They’re specifically vinyl DJs, meaning they don’t have a laptop connected to the turntable doing all of the work. Watching them operate as a team was incredible because they physically had to change records, coordinate their timing, and create smooth transitions while keeping the energy of the room going. There’s something special about watching a DJ work with an actual record, and when the transition is perfect, you can feel the entire room react.
Throughout the night, I also loved hearing people share what Reasonable Doubt meant to them. For some guests, this wasn’t simply an album they discovered on a streaming service years later. They remembered what it felt like to hear this music when it was new. They remembered where they were, what was happening in their lives, and what Baltimore felt like during the 1990s. Hearing those stories made me realize that listening to an album together can become a form of storytelling. The music gives people a starting point, but the memories surrounding it are what make the experience personal.
The timing of this particular album was also perfect. Jay-Z is celebrating the legacy of Reasonable Doubt with his current tour, bringing together artists connected to his career and giving longtime fans an opportunity to revisit an important part of hip-hop history. For people in Baltimore who may not have had the opportunity to see some of those artists perform alongside Jay-Z during the album’s original era, Beyond the Singles offered its own version of that nostalgia right here at home. In a way, it felt like bringing a little piece of Brooklyn to Baltimore, and I didn’t have to travel three hours to experience it!
What made the night most meaningful to me was seeing Baltimore show up for something new. The event sold out, people dressed up, and guests came with their friends, dates, and family. They ate, drank, laughed, talked, and listened. For a city that is sometimes described as disconnected or lacking things to do, I think nights like this tell a completely different story. Baltimore has people who want to experience culture together. We have people who care about music, art, food, fashion, and community. Sometimes we just need someone to create the space.
That’s what Raigan and Amber are doing with Beyond the Singles, and I’m proud to be part of it. They’re creating a space for people to slow down. It’s about memories, history, community, and the people you experience it with. As the event coordinator, I get to help create those moments while experiencing them alongside everyone else in the room.
The first Beyond the Singles was more than a listening party. It was a room full of Baltimoreans remembering, connecting, and making new memories together. With how great this one went, I can’t wait to update you on the next event. I’ll give you a hint on the Artist: m=mc2
Until next time,
Signed, A Baltimore Native
