Vinal Recap: An Evening with Ivy Barney and Lauryn Hill

Last night, the Momentary hosted its very first Vinal event in the Tower Bar. This monthly series invites a special guest to select their favorite record, play samples of it, and talk the audience through the place the album holds in their life.

This month’s special guest was Ivy Barney, who works in Supply Chain at Walmart. Ivy also serves on the Board of Directors for the House of Songs and serves as Chair for the Black/African American Associate Resource Group at Walmart.

A recap of the evening follows:

Yes, “vinal” is an actual word.

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines vinal as “a synthetic textile fiber that is a long-chain polymer consisting largely of vinyl alcohol units.” In a clever play on words, Vinal (the event) combines the concept of alcohol with vinyl records, resulting in a sophisticated evening of specialty drinks, music, and conversation.

Ivy Barney and Lauryn Hill

Ivy’s record of choice for the evening was The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (1998) – an excellent choice that took many of us down memory lane. In a conversation moderated by Momentary Director Lieven Bertels, Ivy told us a little about her life and the significance that Lauryn Hill and certain songs on the album had in her life.

Guests enjoyed listening to Ivy in conversation and were treated to vinyl record segments of some of Ivy’s favorite songs from the album including:

• “Every Ghetto, Every City” – as Lauryn sings about the relationships with the men in her life, Ivy is reminded of her childhood in southern Louisiana and her relationship with her father.
• “Doo Wop (That Thing)” – a song of female empowerment and sexuality.
• “When It Hurts So Bad” – Lauryn’s vocals make us think about relationships and mistakes made in them. In Ivy’s own words, “when do you lean in to make it work and commit versus when do you know to let it go and walk away?”
• “To Zion” – Lauryn sings about a pregnancy in her early twenties. It made Ivy think about her relationship with children throughout her life, going through a time when she didn’t want them, to talking about how her children now make her a better person.
• “Everything Is Everything” – an uplifting, favorite song for Ivy.

A Sophisticated Evening

There isn’t a better place to host Vinal than the Tower Bar. With its mid-century design and mood lighting, the space becomes a modern-day speakeasy pulled straight out of an episode of Mad Men. It’s the perfect place to enjoy a sophisticated evening event like Vinal discussing music over cocktails.

The specialty drinks that accompanied Ivy’s record selection included a cocktail – Ivy’s Everything is Everything (a light, citrusy gin cocktail with Lillet Blanc, Cointreau, and lemon); and a wine – Notorious Pink Rose (Domaine La Colombette from France).

At the end of the conversation, guests were encouraged to ask Ivy their own questions, and the music continued to play as guests mingled and enjoyed their drinks.

What’s Next for Vinal?

Vinal will take place on the first Tuesday of each month. It is free to attend, but guests must reserve a seat on our website here. Specialty drinks will be created and available for purchase during the event.

Check back to our calendar soon for more Vinal events opening up soon!

Written by Erica Harmon, copywriter, Crystal Bridges.