The MFJS Reporter — Winter 2020 T-R

These small concerts are held across the globe—they began in London in 2009 and have become increasingly popular in the United States as well as abroad. Sofar Sounds have made even more of an impact in areas they identify as their ‘permanent cities,’ where they continuously put on shows.

Sofar Sounds does not release the location of the gig until 24 hours beforehand and does not reveal who the artists are until the show begins. Sofar Sounds have showcased many different artists, some of which include Billie Eilish, Leon Bridges, Karen O, and Hozier before they were as well known.

On Feb. 4, Denver’s local brewing company, Odell’s, held one of these intimate gigs. The MC of the night, Chloe Edwards, spoke on the organization’s founding and on the guidelines for the audience.

Edwards explained that Sofars are now located in over 150 cities around the world. 

“Some of these locations are temporary, but we are lucky to live in Denver, one of Sofar Sound’s permanent locations,” Edwards said.

Sofar Sounds works hard to foster a very specific kind of concert environment—they are able to do so by setting and enforcing guidelines for the audience during the show. 

Edwards said that Sofars began because, “we were tired of going to concerts where we couldn’t see or hear the artists […] We aim to appreciate the artist as well as the audience, so keep talking to a zero, put phones away, and really be here so you don’t miss a line or an artist’s message during the show.”

Emma Seruya, an audience member, reflects on the guidelines and the environment they create. She has been to concerts that have enforced similar rules, but this is her first time at a Sofar. 

“This is a different setting, but it is a similar environment [because of the guidelines]. It makes the concert feel more intimate […] It is my favorite kind of concert,” said Seruya.

There were three different artists and bands throughout the night. The first was Paul DeHaven who is releasing a new record, “Echoes & Overtones,” on March 5.

DeHaven sat on a chair at the front of the room and began to strum on his acoustic guitar. He sang a folky tune of his, also called “Echoes & Overtones.” He spent much of the four songs he played, with his eyes closed. The audience was truly feeling the music as he was. 

The room stayed silent, save for applause, DeHaven’s foot tapping on the wooden floor, and the occasional commentary by the artist. 

There is a short intermission between each artist where the audience is able to talk amongst themselves and even with the artists when they are selling merch. 

The second band is known as The Senators and is made up of Jesse Teer, Chuck Linton, Marshall Hunt, and Jason Yee. The Senators describe their music as electric folk. They drove to Colorado from Arizona in a 12-hour, snowy drive and were happy to finally have made it and to be performing for Sofar Sounds with an audience that was truly there to experience the music with them.

The Senators played some of their most popular songs, one being “Monsoon,” written about the Arizona monsoon season, even though they wrote it in Manhattan. During the song, the lead singer stomped his foot on the ground with the beat of the drums. The audience could feel it reverberate through the floor, strengthening the connection between the artist and audience.

The last artist of the night was Joel Ansett who was joined by Dan DeCristofaro. Ansett describes his music to be a combination of folk and R&B. During the set, Ansett reflected on the venue and spoke to the audience.

“I appreciate you all spending your time and money to be here. You’re making me feel like I’m living—there are so many shows where people just aren’t listening,” Ansett said.

Ansett ended the night with an unreleased song—he wanted to try the chorus out on the crowd. He called it, “Wrestling My Expectations,” and asked the audience to sing along—we did. 

Once the artists had finished their sets, they joined the crowd to hear the next artist. This created the most genuine concert environment. 

The sense of openness and community there is incredibly moving and impactful, especially in an age where individuals are often on their phones or moving too quickly to have meaningful conversations or make connections with others, regularly. This is a wonderful opportunity to experience that. 

Shelly Rollison first heard of Sofar Sounds six or seven years ago, through Instagram. She began attending shows around that time and even began playing at them. Rollison described her music to be a sort of alternative indie—a mix between Billie Holiday and Billie Eilish. She also works as a sound tech for Sofar Denver and attends shows often.

Rollison said, “[Sofars are] my favorite type of show to play—everyone is present in the moment together. The audience is leaning in with you, it’s its own special brand of magic.”

Check out upcoming Sofar shows in Denver here.