The lights are dim, the room is full and the audience is beaming with excitement. As the host comes to the front, everyone falls still in anticipation of the first artist; this is what a SoFar Sounds show is like.
A SoFar show typically consists of three performers in a smaller venue. The floor is covered in pillows and blankets and food and drinks are free-flowing.
“I love [the shows]. I think it’s such a great vibe and energy. This room is filled with music enthusiasts and people who just love to watch new independent artists come in and play their stuff,” musician Kayden Muller said.
SoFar Sounds holds an element of mystery behind it, with audience members buying tickets despite being unaware of the exact location and performer. At the Sept. 23 show in Downtown Miami, Robert “Dubwise” Browne, a two-time Grammy-winning artist, surprised the crowd by playing guitar for Muller. The only information available is the neighborhood that the show will be in —the exact location is not announced until 36 hours before the show.
“So you’re buying blindly in a sense. You don’t know where you’re going…there’s a curiosity behind it that attracts audiences and that’s why we do it,” SoFar Sounds Miami’s Lead Curator Tita Garcia said.
Careful planning goes behind each show. Garcia has to create a lineup that flows, is unique and matches the vibes of the venue. The performers are not just musicians, they can be comedians, poets or other visual performing artists, but the lineup depends on what the venue is looking for.
SoFar Sounds originally started in London, England, and since then has expanded to over 400 cities. In the organization’s history, artists such as Billie Eilish and Hozier have performed at SoFar concerts before their big break.
“[Curating artists is] a lot of relationship building and from the start of their career, [musicians] are looking at platforms where they can perform. It happens to many of the Billie Eillish’s of the world, where they are just looking for opportunities to perform. And then when we place them in our platform they get a lot of views and we have the story that these artists, who are now superstars, have gone to SoFar Sounds,” Garcia said.
In addition to Garcia, SoFar Sounds Miami has a crew of around seven people. They ensure shows run smoothly by operating the sound and manning the door.
The crew does not just simply work for SoFar, the initiative has helped them build connections, meet new people and has given them a place to perform.
“It’s been super cool. I lived in New York, so I did SoFar there. And then I moved down here. I transferred and it’s just the best way to get to know a new city…so it’s been really cool. I really get plugged in because the community is super cool and [I] make new friends. It’s been a really big part of my transitioning period,” SoFar Sounds Miami crew member Aleigh Estrada said.
Other crew members have experienced both sides of SoFar, working behind the scenes and performing on stage.
“Working with SoFar has helped not only with connections, but with learning how to have more stage presence, how to put together a team, how to do in the team setting, and ultimately how to throw on a great show,” SoFar Sounds Miami Lead Master of Ceremonies and musician Daniel Argota said.
For the performers, they get the experience that comes with performing on a SoFar stage and exposure to a new group of potential fans.
Emily Sheila, a SoFar veteran who has performed at almost 40 shows, has fans who have traveled to see her. One fan, in particular, drove three hours to see her perform in Greensboro, North California.
Sheila has made SoFar her own; she created tours for herself where she gets to travel the U.S. and perform with SoFar in different cities.
“One of my tours, I drove from Charlotte, I performed in SoFar Charlotte, SoFar Greensboro, SoFar Richmond, SoFar Philadelphia, Washington, New York, and then I went over to the West Coast. I started all the way at the top in Seattle, then went down to Portland, then I went down to San Francisco…and then down to Oakland and also Texas. My goal, ultimately, is to perform every SoFar there ever was,” Sheila said.
SoFar Miami was not always as popular as it is now. It originally started in 2014, but took a break because of the COVID-19 pandemic. It restarted in 2022 and the crew has been working diligently to grow the chapter, but one thing that has remained constant with the shows is the audience.
“They’re very attentive. They’re very present. And that’s ultimately what we want. That’s like the mission for SoFar, to create a presence for the artists to have the attention that they’re providing,” Argota said.
