Inside Charis Listening Bar: A Midwestern Love Letter to Music, Memory, and High-Fidelity Sound

Klipsch

September 3, 2026

In Chicago’s Bridgeport neighborhood, Charis Listening Bar owner Alex Jandernoa has created a warm space where records, cocktails, hospitality, and family history all play through the same system.

For Jandernoa, Charis Listening Bar began long before the doors opened. The idea started in middle school, when he first dreamed of opening a bar or restaurant of his own. Years later, after working many hospitality jobs around the world, he kept returning to one lesson. If you’re going to do something as crazy as opening a bar, it has to be personal.

Charis is exactly that: A deeply personal love letter. Named for Alex’s mother and inspired by his upbringing in the Michigan woods, the bar draws from a home that was always filled with music, good food, strong drinks, and interesting people. Flipping a record or changing a CD was one of the first ways Alex was invited into that world as a kid. That connection continues today, he and his mother still exchanging records.

Klipsch x Charis Listening Bar Patrons enjoying Charis Listening Bar Klipsch RP 500 SA I Is above 2000x1333

A Listening Bar with Neighborhood-Bar Soul

Alex takes pride in calling Charis a listening bar. To him, the title means taking both sound quality and hospitality seriously. Inspired by kissa cafés and listening bars around the world, Charis was not simply outfitted with an audio setup—the space was built around it. Every seat is designed to offer quality fidelity and a level of detail that encourages guests to step away from the outside world and into the music.

At the same time, Alex wanted Charis to remain approachable. He describes it as a “Midwestern listening bar”—a place where guests can get a little rowdy, laugh loudly with friends, or tuck into a cozy corner with a book. The goal is for anyone to walk in, even without knowing what a listening bar is, and feel completely at home.

That balance shows up in the design. The DJ system is built directly into the bar, encouraging guests to talk with selectors and staff about what’s spinning, though Alex notes, there are still no requests. Comfortable seating invites people to settle in for a full album rather than perch on an uncomfortable stool. The whole audio experience is intentionally accessible, social, and warm while offering a high-end environment.

Why Klipsch Was the Natural Choice

Klipsch was woven into Alex’s idea of great sound from the beginning. His parents always valued a quality sound system at home, and music marked every occasion. Like many families, his had a “cool uncle” who loved audio. Uncle Charlie, a childhood friend of Alex’s father, had a home audio setup built around Klipsch speakers.

For a listening bar rooted in family, memory, and the Midwest, Alex says there was no other speaker brand he would have considered. Klipsch’s Midwestern history made the fit even stronger. The harder choice was deciding which hi-fi speakers would serve the room best.

While Alex had dreams of La Scalas, the realities of opening an independent bar meant working within a budget. With guidance from Saturday Audio Exchange in Chicago, he listened through the options and built a high quality system designed to make Charis stand out while still leaving room to upgrade over time.

Klipsch x Charis Listening Bar Klispch Forte IV speakers built into Charis Listening Bar 2000x1333

The System Behind the Sound

At the core of Charis’ setup is a pair of Forte IV Floorstanding speakers behind the bar, supported by four RP-500SA II Surround Sound Speakers throughout the room. Alex is also slowly restoring a set of Heresy IIs to help round out the sound in the back room.

The room itself was tuned around the speaker setup. Custom hanging sound boards use a mix of arctic birch and sound-absorbing tiles to balance refraction for guests while absorbing bass for neighbors. The Forte speakers are also back vented behind a false wall, allowing proper airflow and helping the system perform at its best.

“The space didn’t just have a good sound system added. It was built around the system.”

Warm Mids, Subtle Bass, and a Basement-Memory Feeling

When describing the sound, Alex reaches for a distinctly Midwestern memory: Hearing a record on a good audio system in the cool cousin’s basement for the first time. It’s the kind of sound that cuts through the room without overpowering, enhancing conversation while quietly pulling everyone into the groove.

More technically, Alex describes the system as having warm, cozy mids; subtle, enveloping bass that never overtakes the music; and natural, bright highs that shine on brass sections and wandering synth lines. It’s immersive without being precious. An audiophile experience designed to feel lived in.

Records That Show Off the Room

A very hard question but 2 must plays for me are:

Grover Washington: Mr. Magic
J Dilla feat Common: E = MC2

Klipsch x Charis Listening Bar Klispch Forte IV speakers behind DJ at Charis Listening Bar 2000x1333

How does music shape the atmosphere and experience of your bar?

Music is everything for us. We never have a set playlist; each service we pull records from different genres and artists to start the day. The first hour we feel out what’s working. Does it match the weather, are the guests bobbing their heads, or did we just put on way too weird of jazz? It’s all a test until we find the rhythm of the evening.

As for who’s DJing, we use our trusted Sonic Curator, Drew Mitchell of 606 Records. He sets our selectors for each week, and we don’t provide them with guidelines in terms of what they can and can’t play. We want full expression of them as humans and each vinyl selector has brought a unique and beautiful sound to Charis. The rhythm and tones of our little bar change as the humans who grace our decks feel the space and read the energy of our guests.

What do you think people are looking for when they visit a dedicated listening space?

I gave this question to my Lead Bartender, Maria Torres who interacts with our guests every night.

“When people come into Charis, they’re usually very intrigued with what’s playing. Countless guests ask to take photos of an album, or I see Shazam apps in the air. They want to be introduced to music they haven’t heard yet.”

Finish this sentence: “A great listening experience is…”

“Surprising.
I want to be taken on an unexpected journey and learn about new artists just as much as I want to sing along to my favorite tunes." - Alex J.