Being present at a great live performance is a one-of-a-kind experience that music lovers world-wide can appreciate, but it’s becoming difficult to find intimate shows that don’t empty your wallet. Sofar Sounds, a new enterprise that puts on intimate gigs around the world, is hoping to change that.
Sofar shows now take place in 428 cities worldwide, including Boston. Each show is held at a different location- from distilleries, to someone’s living room, to the North Face store on Newbury Street.
Last week, Sofar ticket buyers found themselves walking into Bully Boy Distillers in Roxbury. There they found barrels full of handcrafted rum, vodka, and whiskey, big enough to fit several music-lovers inside, stacked up to the ceiling. Pipes ran along the outside of the walls. There were mats set up on the cold, hard floors, for people to sit and wait for the mystery artists of the night.
“A Sofar gig experience is completely different than any other concert,” said Sofar Sounds emcee Janelle Ortega. “We always have three performers of any genre, no openers or closers. After the show the artists hangout so you can go up and talk to them and get to know them.”
The audience was soon introduced to “ivamae,” a folk singer from Burlington, Vermont, Justice Ameer, a transgender spoken-word poet; and “Christopher the Conquered,” a pianist with a passion for comedic story-telling through song.
Ivamae went up first, a bit timid but comforted by the sound of her own guitar. The crowd of about 40 instantly went silent, and everyone leaned into the warm sound of the folk music bouncing off of the windy metal pipes.
“The goal is to curate this magical, intimate artistic experience for both artists and guests that commonly gets lost in these larger commercial driven venues,” said Ortega, as she leaned up against a Bully Boy barrel. “We bring together artists, hosts, fans, travelers and more. Concerts are affordable, most spaces are BYOB, the community is affable and attentive, and the talent is extraordinary.”
Sofar Sounds aims to spread awareness of local artists throughout each city they work in, as well as create a community of music-lovers who can all sit down together in a stranger’s living room or studio and simply enjoy the music and the performers in front of them.
“I come ready to perform for a crowd that isn’t necessarily here for poetry,” said Ameer, the spoken-word poet, after his performance, “but hoping that maybe they end up finding something they really love.”
“The intention of these shows is for people to make authentic human connections,” said ivamae, whose favorite part of Sofar Sounds is it’s “engaging old-school ways and community.”
Potential audience members can apply for a ticket up until the day before the event, or until the show sells out at sofarsounds.com. Once you are selected, Sofar Sounds sends out an email notifying you that you can buy a ticket, and will then release the secret location of the show.
“I was pleasantly surprised by the lack of equipment, the venue, and how respectful the audience was,” said Sophia Kapreilian, a first-time Sofar Sound attendee. “It was cool to see like-minded people come together to enjoy some art.”