On March 25, Sofar Sounds held another event in a downtown Kitchener office space. Sofar Sounds is a music company that hosts secret intimate concerts in a new location for every event.
The location is only revealed a day before the event and must remain a secret between those involved.
The Cord had the chance to speak to the Marketing Lead Ryan Baillie and the City Lead Amit Mehta. These two individuals are very passionate about Sofar Sounds; they are eager to talk about the work that goes on behind the scenes of every event.
The artists are not revealed ahead of time and are only released at the event.
“Three totally diverse acts,” Mehta said, insuring there is something for everyone in the audience.
The first artist we got to see was Rebecca Lappa, a passionate singer from Edmonton.
Then we saw Hugo Alley, an indie-rock band from Kitchener-Waterloo. Last, we had an acoustic folk artist named Richard Garvey who had no shortage of quips and audience interaction.
Sofar Sounds is present in 404 cities worldwide, however Waterloo Sofar Sounds started small in September 2017 with only 30 guests at their first event and 10 volunteers.
Sofar Sounds now has 27 volunteers and over 150 applicants for each show.
Sofar Sounds previously held events just once a month. Having recently updated the frequency to every other week, their events will help to bring together a community in Kitchener-Waterloo.
Applicants can find a show in their city and apply for a ticket online.
“We actually handpick the audience to try and increase the sense of community at the show,” Mehta said.
The audience at the events often consist of young and old members creating a very diverse crowd. Due to creative concert locations, audience members are encouraged to bring pillows and blankets to sit on, creating a very close quarters event — you really get to know the person next to you.
The event on Sunday was hosted in the office space of Smile.io; previously an event has been held in 10,000 Villages.
“To … set up in the storefront we had to move all the displays out of the way,” Baillie said.
“You never know where the event is going to be held.”
Sofar Sounds previously held events just once a month. Having recently updated the frequency to every other week, their events will help to bring together a community in Kitchener-Waterloo.
“We want to showcase arts and culture in Kitchener-Waterloo,” Mehta said.
Interested in a night of live music with a private audience and a diverse crowd?
Great, there is a three step process.
First apply online for tickets, next wait for your email letting you know that you have been selected.
Finally buy your ticket!
Then wait for the secret location to be revealed to you.
Make sure you bring some cash for the bar to pick up a drink.
Sofar Sounds is a great event for meeting people you normally wouldn’t; the mutual love for music and the intimate setting brings everyone together.