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Kirby's Beer Store

Wichita · 3227 E. 17th St. N., Wichita, KS, 67208

Jim Kirby opened Kirby’s Beer Store in 1972 in a tiny room at 3227 E. 17th Street, across from Wichita State, and drew students, professors, and neighbors. He later sold it to a group of geology professors that included John McKinley. Artist Richard Davies and Mark Munzinger bought it in 1984, and booker Jake Euker brought in acts such as Yo La Tengo and the Mekons. Steve Schroeder owned it from 1993 until his death in 2008, keeping the dive’s reputation for live original music.