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It almost seems that each Sofar sounds show I go to just gets better - or maybe it's because I am more into discovering new bands and being open to showing up at a stranger's house, having no idea who is going to be playing and totally being OK with that. If you aren't familiar with Sofar Sounds it's an awesome way to discover up and coming bands and also give respect to the artists as there is no talking allowed when they are playing because they are video taping the event for the band.
Yesterday's Sofar show was at 2:00 pm which made me think that whoever is playing might be a traveling band/singer (that is not local) and they are playing during the day before their local show later that night. It just so happened that one of the bands I already had tickets to see later that night was there! It made me all the more excited because it's in an intimate setting, you can talk to the artists and buy their merchandise between sets and it's just super cool. I am always excited to walk up to the homes of the gracious hosts and see the lovely Sofar sign.
After getting the e-mail that I am on the 'list' and mapping out my route and figuring how long it will take me to get there - I make sure I am there right around the time the doors open. I want to get a decent place to sit, and I don't want to see this sign on the door if I am late because that means I missed the first act. They start right on time so the earlier you can get there the better.
If you are not familiar with Blue Bear - definitely check them out. Their new album is coming out soon as well so be looking for their Vacations release later this year.
If there is not one in your city - why not start one? Sofar is based strictly on volunteers and no one makes any money because the event is free and the artists don't get paid. The idea is that music lovers attend and support the bands by buying their merchandise and spreading the word. You really just need to be a music lover and get set up with a good group of volunteers. I hope to see you at the next one and just wanted to post here that Austin people will not want to miss the next one - so go sign up right now!
Yesterday's Sofar show was at 2:00 pm which made me think that whoever is playing might be a traveling band/singer (that is not local) and they are playing during the day before their local show later that night. It just so happened that one of the bands I already had tickets to see later that night was there! It made me all the more excited because it's in an intimate setting, you can talk to the artists and buy their merchandise between sets and it's just super cool. I am always excited to walk up to the homes of the gracious hosts and see the lovely Sofar sign.
After getting the e-mail that I am on the 'list' and mapping out my route and figuring how long it will take me to get there - I make sure I am there right around the time the doors open. I want to get a decent place to sit, and I don't want to see this sign on the door if I am late because that means I missed the first act. They start right on time so the earlier you can get there the better.
I walk in, immediately check the set list and find out Jeremy Messersmith and one of my favorite Austin based bands Blue Bear are playing! I am getting a warm up because I already have tickets to see Jeremy Messersmith later that night. So excited!
Looking at the list, I am not familiar with the first two artists, but Sofar has yet to disappoint me. First up is Kalu James who is based in Austin but originally from Nigeria. His soulful vocals and sweet lyrics really impressed. If you are not familiar - check out his album from last year on Spotify - The Offering:Flesh and the track Fields of Lavender is really lovely from that album. For Austin peeps - he plays every Monday night at the Continental Club with a full band so go check him out!
Next up is Vanessa Peters. Vanessa is a great singer songwriter from Dallas who came down to share some of her lovely songs with us. I have mad respect for ladies playing guitars. It was a great set. If you are not familiar with Vanessa, go check out her track A Good Judge which she played for us and it was pretty awesome.
It is time for Jeremy Messersmith! He has a wonderful voice, witty songwriting and a great personality, too. This was basically a warm up for me for his night show. I love his new album Heart Murmurs and I loved it even more after I got it home because the vinyl is hot pink and looks so lovely on my record player. The acoustic set was so great, but playing with a full band was pretty amazing. In my opinion, this was a great booking for Sofar and I hope people take notice and realize that really great artists think this idea is super cool, too or they wouldn't be doing it for free.
The only bummer for me was that I had really crappy cell phone service so I only got a few tweets out and had no access to instagram. I am usually more vocal on social media during the show because I like to post as many pictures or video snippets as I can but it just didn't happen this time. Everyone is encouraged to take pictures and video and share to get the word out - just make sure your phone is on silent ;)
Jeremy jetted off to get ready for his show later on and next up is Blue Bear which I have already posted about their awesomeness for the ACL Festival posts I'm doing. This band has amazing harmonies and even though this set was toned down and more acoustic - it still showcased how talented these guys are. I REALLY wanted to see them with their fully amped up show Saturday night as well but I'm getting old and couldn't hang until after midnight which is when they were to come on. I will say that this was the first time I have been to a Sofar show and the audience asked for an encore - that was pretty amazing!
If you are not familiar with Blue Bear - definitely check them out. Their new album is coming out soon as well so be looking for their Vacations release later this year.
If you are reading this and are pretty sure you would love to attend a Sofar show and are not subscribed to the list yet - go to Sofar Sounds right now and find out if they are in your city! You will get a monthly e-mail with upcoming dates for each city and then you can sign up for that month's event if you can make it. Sometimes the event might be at capacity and you will be on a waitlist, but they are really good about making sure some new first time people get to attend.
If there is not one in your city - why not start one? Sofar is based strictly on volunteers and no one makes any money because the event is free and the artists don't get paid. The idea is that music lovers attend and support the bands by buying their merchandise and spreading the word. You really just need to be a music lover and get set up with a good group of volunteers. I hope to see you at the next one and just wanted to post here that Austin people will not want to miss the next one - so go sign up right now!
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