Stereo Giraffe

Sofar sounds is an organization that arranges gigs. It offers a few premises: choose a city, pick a date, select a neighborhood…and wait for the specific details the day before the concert. Not only Sofar coincides with a pop-up event definition, Sofar also undertakes high quality sound, singularity,  and freshness.

Sofar is the perfect mixture of pop-ups and clandestine business. Although these ephemeral events have become a merchandising standarized technique for big brands and have lost its former originality, Sofar was first. Since 2009, any private indoor place where one can gather a couple of bands and some audience has fit in Sofar definition.

The playing bands are only revealed when you have made it to the event and there is only one condition once you are there: respect for the music and the artists -no chatting, clapping or making any noise in the performance.

After speaking about Sofar for a while, we finall booked a date. I really didn’t know what to expect from it… and it was way better than what I’d ever imagined.

The meeting spot was quite difficult to find, it felt as a treasure haunt. Once we found the place,  I couldn’t but admire the reception of the Tileyard studios. A magnificent painting in the wall addressing the chronology of musical recording: transistor radio, vinyls, tapes, first singer to get all its discography in CD -Bowie, Napster, Spotify, soundcloud…

We sat on the floor, prepared our drinks -BYOB and prepared for what would come.

The venue consisted of three bands playing three to four songs. It started the best possible way with a Danish singer. Ida Wenøe was perfectly imperfect as she stated in her wonderful I am on your side. She was sweet, had a really charming voice and came accompanied with Rolf Hansen and Anders Mathiasen, two outstanding musicians. She dared to finish her setlist with a song sang in Danish. Simply beautiful.

The next singer was Jade Bird. Presented as a rising star on the London music scene, mix of country folk and pop, she demonstrated that she is indeed a star. Jade looked very young, naïve and nervous. The tempo of her songs felt a bit accelerated –Madeline version on TEAfilm sessions seems more paced . However, her guitar and her voice were perfect. I hadn’t heard anything as unique and with such a personal style as her songs in a while. Please listen her  and let me know if she has made you fall in love for her.

The icing on the cake came with Island Cassettes. A group from Kent with five components that play songs influenced by French ye-ye, folk and African guitar style. They reminded me of Crystal Fighters. So fresh and lively that make you want to move your body. I actually couldn’t stand being sit while watching -couldn’t find the point for not following their rhythms dancing.

All in all, I can’t but recommend this wonderful experience that started the moment it was organised , that continued with some pizzas in my place, and that ended up in a great gig.

Just a final take home message : access any Sofar around the world, choose a city and let the magic happen.