Sofar Sounds: Why These Secret Shows Should Be On Your Bay Area Bucket List

Shhh… I am going to let you in on a little secret. 

What if I told you you could go to a concert where you didn’t know who was playing the show and you didn’t know the location until 36 hours before?

Sounds like an adventure, right?

Well, these concerts aren’t imaginary and they are likely happening somewhere in your neighborhood.

Sofar Sounds, is a global music community, that hosts small, intimate shows in unusual venues like living rooms, galleries, breweries and backyards.

Sofar shows encourage artists and audience members to interact and engage with one another to create an intimate music community.

An intimate audience waits for a Sofar Show at Alchemy House in San Francisco.

‘Community in non-traditional spaces’: The history and mission of Sofar Sounds

Sofar Sounds was born 10 years ago out of a living room in London that hosted “pass-the-hat” artist donation performances. Since then, Sofar has grown exponentially with shows in non-traditional spaces across 78 countries and 400 cities worldwide, according to a Sofar Sounds media release.

The majority of the money made through ticket sales goes right back to the artists themselves, helping to financially support and raise awareness for small, independent artists.

Since the pandemic, according to the media release, the company has donated over $30 million dollars to artists who perform at Sofar shows.

It all sounded magical… the intimate nature of the shows, the support for independent artists. Surely, there had to be a catch, right?

Sofar was kind enough to send The B-Side to a show in Lower Nob Hill on Sept. 21, where I had the opportunity to experience it for myself. What I was treated to was one of the most special nights of live music I have ever experienced.

Sofar in Lower Nob Hill,  Sept. 21, 2023

Prior to the show, an email notification alerted with the location of the show: Alchemy House located at 939 Post St. in the Lower Nob Hill neighborhood of San Francisco. Upon arrival, I was welcomed inside the space by a very kind Sofar employee.

Alchemy House is a multi-use venue rental that plays host to live music performances, yoga and breath classes and many other events and workshops. Soon, it will be the home of San Francisco’s very own bath house.

With shimmery, warm lighting, the atmosphere inside Alchemy House was pleasant and relaxing. It didn’t take long before guests began to feel at home there –  the perfect setting for an intimate Sofar show. By the time the show started, there were only about 15 people in the audience.

The first set of the night was performed by singer-songwriter, Caelin, from Austin, Texas. Her velvety vocals felt like a gentle caress over the audience. Her voice filled the room and surrounded the audience in warmth.

Caelin’s tonal quality sets her apart from other singer-songwriters. Her lyricism is simple, yet well-crafted. Rather than attempting to make the lyrics cerebral, Caelin is poetic in a way that is easy to understand and relatable to all young people learning how to navigate love and heartbreak.

The next set was given by Saxophonist, Noah Rosen, who is a lifelong Bay Area resident.

Rosen’s work is unique. During the set, he played backing tracks he composed on his laptop while playing the saxophone over the tracks. The result was absolutely breathtaking.

Rosen created ethereal sounds and was able to transport listeners to another dimension. People were so transfixed by his performance and some were even moved to tears.

Rosen interacted with the crowd and got people up and moving by playing a saxophone rendition of Earth Wind & Fire‘s classic disco song, ‘September.’ This was especially fun given that the show was on the 21st night of September. The entire crowd danced and swayed and sang the words they all naturally knew by heart.

The closing performance of the night was given by rapper Jonathan Randall Boone, who performs under the name unocoolbro. Uno gave a memorable, interactive performance, where audience members helped him make a movie. Using music and input from the audience, unocoolbro transformed into a storyteller, telling the story of a protagonist and his journey.

Beyond possessing impressive musical talent, unocoolbro is a uniquely vulnerable performer who takes hard, emotional topics head on. He writes about real-world and personal issues with grace and honesty. Unocoolbro is a name you are going to want to know.

After the show ended, people hung around to meet and chat with the artists – something Sofar Sounds encourages. Each and every artist and audience member were incredibly friendly and warm.

Though it was only my first Sofar show, I immediately felt welcomed in the community.

Sofar Sounds has created something so special and wholly its own and is a must-see experience for any and all music lovers. So, check it out! Take the next step, find a show near you and become part of the beautiful music community built by Sofar Sounds.

Article and Photos by Anna Armstrong