Part of a global trend, Sofar doesn’t announce concert lineups or details until the day of the show. Learn more in this story and today’s Local Spins on WYCE podcast that also previews the Jammie Awards.
Who’ll Be at the Microphone: Only Sofar Sounds knows … until Saturday. (Photo/Chelsea Whitaker)
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For eons, the modus operandi for concert promotion has depended on lineup announcements made weeks or months ahead of time, with live music venues posting their schedules to ensure maximum exposure.
But on Saturday, a concert trend that’s swept the country and the globe in defiance of that conventional approach will make its Grand Rapids debut.
Sofar Sounds — billed as a global movement to bring “the magic back to live music” – hosts “pop-up” concerts in intimate, often unexpected settings, keeping the performance lineups and locations secret until the day of the show. And despite the 11th-hour nature of promotion, most Sofar concerts sell out.
Sofar Sounds Grand Rapids hosts its first show Saturday evening with three as-yet-unnamed Michigan singers-songwriters. Details and ticket information will be announced via Instagram (sofargrandrapids) and online at https://www.sofarsounds.com/cities/grand-rapids on Saturday.
Enrique Olmos (Photo/Hau Tran Photos)
“I think there’s something enticing about a little bit of a mystery. Sofar curates these shows in non-traditional venues,” said Enrique Olmos, a musician and Local Spins writer who’s organizing Sofar Sounds shows in Grand Rapids.
“That could be anything from a tattoo shop to a coffee shop or a recording studio. They have a lineup of artists who are professionals at what they do and most of the shows do sell out. And I think part of that is that it’s kind of a singular moment in time where a particular group of artists, this venue and this audience probably won’t ever happen again in that exact format.”
Olmos – a guest on this week’s edition of Local Spins on WYCE, which also previewed Friday night’s Jammie Awards show at The Intersection – said that as a touring musician, he’s played Sofar Sounds concerts in several cities over the years. (Scroll down to listen to the full radio show podcast.)
“Each of these shows are hosted in very unique non-traditional venues. For example, it was I think a high-rise office building in Minneapolis. In New York City, it was a very unique restaurant that was kind of a hidden location. There was a high-end furniture store in Chicago, a few very fancy apartments.”
The first Grand Rapids show will feature “three different artists who are prolific songwriters, incredibly talented musiciansand overall, just captivating performers,” Olmos said. “They’ll each play a 20-minute set in a very cozy, comfortable, ambient setting that’s specifically set up to have an incredible live music experience.”
According to its website, Sofar Sounds now curates shows in 400 cities around the world.
As for other “incredible” live music experiences, the WYCE Jammie Awards unfurl at 6 p.m. tonight (Friday, Feb. 23) at The Intersection with 19 acts performing on three stages. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. with a suggested $5 donation to WYCE and non-perishable food items accepted for Feeding America West Michigan. (Schedule below.)
This week’s edition of Local Spins on WYCE — which spotlights Michigan-made music at 11 a.m. Fridays on WYCE (88.1 FM) and online at wyce.org — also gave fans a sneak preview by airing tracks by several artists playing the Jammie Awards: Samuel Nalangira, Wills Piff & Samil, Pretoria, Banda El Bajio and Pocket Watch. The show also debuted tracks by Von May, The J Hawkins Band, Wayland, Steven Malcolm and Big Timmy & The Heavy Chevys, as well as a classic track by Cameron Blake and a song from a mystery artist playing this weekend’s Sofar Sounds concert. Listen to the show podcast here.
PODCAST: Local Spins on WYCE (2/23/24)
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