KStarke Records, the Ukrainian Village shop run by veteran DJ Kevin Starke, closed for good last month. But on Friday, December 22, the storefront at 1109 N. Western will reopen as a new record and clothing shop called Wild Prairie Vinyl & Vintage (co-owner Natasha Rac took the name from the lyrics to “Onion Rings,” a song on the 2001 Molemen compilation Chicago City Limits Vol. 1). Starke sold the business to Rac and Wild Prairie’s other owner, Alex Gonzales, a local DJ who’d worked at KStarke for five years. “One day I wondered if I could not have to pay for records anymore and asked Kevin if I could help out at the shop,” Gonzales says. “Kevin showed me what was good and became a mentor.” Starke included thousands of his shop’s records in the deal, and Gonzales and Rac kept the best for Wild Prairie’s stock. Friday the new store has a soft open, and Saturday it hosts a free daylong party with eight DJs and complimentary Half Acre beer. Regular hours are noon to 7 PM Wednesday through Saturday and noon to 5 PM on Sunday. “We want a space where people can come and hang out,” Rac says.
Santa’s Gone Punk by Bash Bang
