Vinyl-Only DJs Fuel a Vibrant Music Scene at Hy’s Fried
Something exciting is happening at this out of the way fried chicken restaurant in Egremont.
Editor's Note: Great Barrington DJ and the mind behind the recent Sunshine Orange Subaru Crosstrek Parade, Michelle Kaplan, submits this essay, brings us inside a new local subculture taking shape in real time.
Hy’s Fried, in Egremont, is a living example of the saying, “If you build it, they will come.” Opened just a little over a year ago, the fried chicken restaurant/dance club has become a creative centrifuge of opportunity. This place is like water in the desert. Hallelujah!
Driving down Hillsdale Road, in the dark of night, through stretches of quiet woods, a beacon of light suddenly appears on the hill. The glowing sign reads: “DINING DANCING COCKTAILS.” You pull in to park—no spots left, of course—so you keep going to the overflow lot. Even from there, you can feel the bass thumping through the night air.
Here, in the middle of nowhere, with no cell service, you’ll be greeted by friendly staff, listen to the best vinyl records you’ve ever heard, see megastar producer Mark Ronson spinning on the ones and twos, and maybe even catch a trombone solo, it’s slide popping in and out wildly through the window. It’s priceless. It's cool, it's bizarre. Something extraordinary has taken root.
Photo by Michelle Kaplan
When you walk in, there’s a surreal dreamlike atmosphere dominated by a red color scheme—red paint, red lights, red tables, red menus, chicken-themed art on the walls, and a checkered floor. Regulars are welcomed with hugs and smiles, and even first-timers can feel it immediately, that undeniable sense that something is going on here.
Hy’s is more than just a restaurant. It’s feeding something deeper than just our stomachs. It’s feeding a real hunger for diverse culture and wholesome celebration. We’ve been starved for it, for spaces that have a strong pulse, for music that surprises us, for nights that make you look around and think, “I can’t believe this is happening.”
The beating heart of the venue is a vinyl-only DJ booth in the back corner, with custom-made speakers designed specifically for the space by Jon Bless Hi-Fi. Bless can read a room and knows exactly how to divide the sound. He’s created an atmosphere specifically for listening in a very analog way—something most people are unfamiliar with.
There’s no charge to dance here, which is rare. Hy’s owner and master of ceremonies, Jack Luber makes it clear in every Instagram post: #neveradoorcharge #yourfreetodance. That’s his mindset. Nothing should inhibit you. Hy’s is an outlet. A place we can always count on to hear great DJs, lose track of time, and forget about our phones.
And then they close at 11pm. You get two hours to dance your heart out, and they make it as good as possible. After dinner service the tables disappear, the lights shift, and the dance floor comes alive.
Leon from El Michels Affair and Edan. Photo by Michelle Kaplan
This past Friday, I went out to hear Chances With Wolves, a long-running, New York City-based DJ collective known for their genre-bending, mind-expanding, eclectic mixes that blend soul, psych, obscure funk, doo-wop, spoken word, and precious gems from every era.
At the end of his set Chances With Wolves DJ Kenan remarks, “There was so much joy out here. I love how people danced from the beginning to the end.” I can attest, I was there from start to finish, completely locked in for the full trip. I listened closely to their seamless transitions, wildly obscure covers, and how they played with the room using their effects machine—weaving howling echoes and trippy psychedelic sounds throughout the set. There were songs people sang along to, moments when the crowd wasn’t quite sure what to do, funny songs that made us laugh, and bursts of world music that turned up the heat. It was a sonic journey that was unpredictable and lively, and this crowd was on board for it.
“The energy felt like a throwback to the parties we used to do a while back, Kenan shares. “Where the crowds were really open and receptive to some of the further out choices that we make. I always thought it was part of our job to help people experience music they’ve never heard before, and that’s what I love about playing records for people. It was just nice to feel that trust on the dance floor.” He noted that the space itself, the sound, the vibe, and the intimate dance floor all contributed to that feeling.
Chances With Wolves has a strong presence on various platforms, including SoundCloud, where they share specially curated mixes and episodes, as well as their online radio show, which has been a staple on East Village Radio. They also offer Cassette Club, which mails a cassette directly to you every month.
Chances With Wolves in the DJ booth. Photo by Michelle Kaplan.
The fact that DJs on this level come out to play at an out of the way spot like Hy’s Fried is truly something to write home about. While most DJs at Hy’s are local, seemingly coming out of the woodwork just for the love of the game, Some are huge names with huge followings.
Mark Ronson has DJ’d here twice, on Memorial Day and the Fourth of July. I was lucky enough to catch both nights and they were completely wild. Over the past year, the booth has hosted an amazing lineup of local and visiting DJs, including Paul Nickerson, Ephraim Asili, Sasha Crush, Prestige, and Leon Michels from El Michels Affair to name a few. New York City legend Stretch Armstrong will be DJing on October 18.
Hy’s Fried recently celebrated its one-year anniversary but has already made a powerful impact. Luber, previously ran Frankie Jackson’s Soul Kitchen, a popular Manhattan restaurant and nightclub known for having the same revelatory, joyous vibe that is now brewing in Egremont.
I remember a sweet conversation I had with Luber’s wife, Leilani at the bar. With tears welling in her eyes, she proudly says, “This just happens wherever he goes.”
Chances With Wolves flank Michelle Kaplan. Photo by Alex Glen.
What Luber and his team are creating at Hy’s is filling a much-needed gap in the local music scene. They’re not just booking great DJs, they’re curating memorable and meaningful experiences, and building a legacy in the Berkshires. They’re bringing in talented DJs you’d normally have to travel to the city to hear. The lineup is eclectic, the vibe is cozy, and the whole thing just feels like home. It means a lot to have a place where real intention is put into both the music and the space.
DJing vinyl is a dying art attempting to make a powerful resurgence. There is something about the tactile nature of vinyl, the feeling of flipping through crates, holding records with your hands, dropping the needle just right, and physically manipulating the music that I really appreciate. It demands real skill and attention. In a world saturated with digital playlists, vinyl brings back a different kind of presence.
I’ve always appreciated the art of vinyl DJing, but after finishing Ronson’s new book Night People: How to Be a DJ in '90s New York City, I have a whole new appreciation for it. Ronson writes, "I love the challenge...walking into a room loaded with suits, sipping wine, and figuring out how to crack them open, what record would it take? How long before they were dancing like lunatics drenched in a sweat they never imagined when they left the house."
In another chapter, he writes that "a needle gives vinyl its voice.” Let’s listen and let that voice be heard loud and clear.
More from Michelle Kaplan:
Kaplan hosts a weekly live radio show called Mishmash, broadcast on WBCR-LP, 97.7FM and WGXC, 90.7FM. Listeners can expect a wide range of eclectic music, “unheard anomalies,” interviews with special guests, and other shenanigans. She also writes travel guides focused on off-the-beaten-path destinations, art studio visits, and interviews, sharing them exclusively with her Patreon subscribers.
