A Brooklyn native, Mark Weglarz opened Metal
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He rented a spot near the intersection of Clark and Belmont. “From the east, the north, and south, this is central, jetting out in all directions,” he explains, waving his arms around. “I wanted to be in an area where a lot of kids come, especially from the suburbs.” One of Weglarz’s buddies, John Shirey, says, “I’ve been looking for 15 years to find a Helloween shirt. I finally got one. This store is a dream come true.” T-shirts showcasing sin and destruction hang overhead and drape the walls. Piles of CDs tower atop the checkout counter, waiting to find a home on overflowing racks. “I’m already out of space,” says Weglarz, 31. “There’s just so much metal from all around the world and no room for it all.”
Weglarz has been into metal for more than 15 years. “Master of Puppets, Piece of Mind, and Number of the Beast came out sort of at the same time, and I was hooked,” he says, referring to classic albums by Metallica and Iron Maiden. “These are masterpieces.” He also liked glam rock “back in the day,” and he’s not ashamed to admit he’s listened to Christian metal. “I went to three Stryper shows,” he says. “The beauty of metal is that there is always heavier and faster stuff, and gradually you get into the heavier and sicker shit.” He doesn’t indulge much in chemical depravity. “A lot of metalheads have to drink and smoke pot, but drinking for me is infrequent. My only vice: metal.”
Art accompanying story in printed newspaper (not available in this archive): photo/Eugene Zakusilo.
