Sofar Seattle: The Live Show You Didn’t Know You Needed
All photos courtesy of Sofar Seattle. Photographer: Joel Andrew Simard IG: @joelandrewsimard http://joelandrewsimard.com/
If you haven’t heard, there’s a company by the name of Sofar Sounds that started in London about 10 years ago. Today you can find one of their shows in over 400 cities across the globe. I recently reached out & got on the guestlist just so I can bring you all this story & hopefully encourage you to check out a show in your city.
The really cool thing about Sofar is that it’s such a simple concept, but it’s literally the best idea ever. Sofar was created from the sheer fact that when you go to a show you want to be able to hear, see, and truly listen to the artist performing. You most likely will have a hard time getting to do all 3 of those things in a traditional concert setting. With Sofar, you get a more stripped-down version of a live show. Genius idea.
The Sofar show I went to this past Saturday (April 13, 2019) was the most chill show I’ve been to in a long time. They tell you the location the day before the show so it’s a surprise & they’re not typical venues. They have them at houses, stores, businesses, etc… This particular show was in West Seattle at the Sanctuary at Admiral, which used to be a church, but now hosts things like weddings and so on. In the email, they suggest you bring a blanket or a pillow to sit on since floor seating is a signature of Sofar. There’s a no texting/no talking policy during the performances. The lighting was dark/dim except for on the stage, with little lights around the room, and a bar you could get drinks from before the show or during the 10-minute breaks they had in between sets. There were probably 40-50 people there, give or take, and you’re advised to stay until the very end.
The lineup on Saturday was all local Seattle bands or artists: Hibou (pronounced E-BOO), Whitney Mongé, and COSMOS.
Truthfully, I had never heard of Hibou (@hibouband) or Whitney Mongé (@whitneymonge), but I wasn’t disappointed when it came to their performances. As for the COSMOS (@cosmostheband), I had already seen them do a killer set at The Central Saloon once, and I loved their set at Sofar. Each artist/band performed 4 songs and had more intimate dialogue with us (the audience) than you would get at a big live show. They gave a backstory to each song and really let you understand where they’re coming from while you’re listening to the performance. Hibou performed all brand new songs that aren’t out yet but will be on an upcoming album soon. Whitney performed her songs acoustic, did a beautiful cover of Damien Rice’s “Grey Room,” and joked with us in between songs. COSMOS switched up the vibe a little bit and had everyone stand during their set. This helped people engage in a minor dance session during some songs and definitely got the crowd more interactive without it getting crazy.
All in all, I had a really great time. It was nice to see each performance in its entirety, without being pushed or having a drink spilled on you. The aesthetic was peaceful. Everyone was listening, phone-free, and enjoying the music, as one big collective family for about 2 hours. Don’t get me wrong, I still love me a good, crazy concert, and all that comes with it. But to experience a live show the Sofar way was truly wonderful. I’m already plotting to hit one up when I go back to Houston to visit and of course experience more around Seattle and whatever other cities I end up in. I highly recommend that you go check it out in whichever city you reside in. I guarantee it’ll be an experience you’ll enjoy. Click the links below, check out their socials, and do yourself a favor and cop a ticket to a show. Seriously, do it right now, as soon as you finish this sentence.
Website https://www.sofarsounds.com/
Main Sofar IG https://www.instagram.com/sofarsounds/
Main Sofar FB https://www.facebook.com/sofarsounds/
Sofar Seattle IG https://www.instagram.com/sofarseattle/
Sofar Seattle FB https://www.facebook.com/SofarSoundsSeattle/