Photo by Jacob LaRoque
The sign on the wall behind the stage said “Dania Beach Improv,” but the only thing funny in the comedy club this late October night was the wonky Wonka-adjacent Halloween costume worn by the emcee.
Over the course of a couple of hours on a bare but well-lighted stage, Jason Schipper, a high school teacher by day, introduced three solo musical acts. Each was a vocalist and guitarist, each vibrating on a different shade of the singer-songwriter spectrum.
Until they’d gathered at the club’s intimately spaced tables, the 85 people in the audience didn’t know who would be performing for them. Still they came — because this was a SoFar Sounds show, and the mystery is part of what makes it a special concert experience. The other part is that, true to its acronym of a name — “Songs From a Room” — SoFar Sounds concerts are presented in spaces that are not officially concert venues.
It works like this: When the show is published on sofarsounds.com about a month in advance, the only info released is the date, time, general location and general venue characteristics (wheelchair accessibility, parking, seating, etc.) Whoever buys a ticket — always $20 each — will be emailed the name and address of the venue 36 hours before the show.
This is the case with the next Broward County show, which is 6:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 15, at Harbor Village in East Pompano Beach. Exact location to be released.
“And then on the day of the show, when you come, that’s when you find out who’s performing,” says Timothy LaRoque, SoFar Sounds Fort Lauderdale’s lead curator. “People tell me that they really enjoy the secrecy of it. It’s anticipation that builds up and you’re in on it with us. You know the general location so you know whether or not it works for you on that day. But when you get emailed the address, you’re like, oh, wow, that’s awesome. Or, you know, it just takes you by surprise. Also, we pride ourselves on curating a really great lineup.”
Photo by Lilli Schipper
Those lineups all feature three acts. Many of the performers are local, but the bills also include touring artists, like that night at the comedy club in Dania Pointe. There, Nashville singer-songwriter Amanda McCarthy and 82-year-old songwriting legend Bob Lind, known for the 1966 hit, “Elusive Butterfly,” bookended Fort Lauderdale singer-songwriter Suun.
The 23-year-old artist opened her set by introducing “Betty,” her electric guitar. “She reminds me of my grandma,” she said. “She’s a little unstable but I love her dearly.”
Suun charmed the crowd with three songs, each with more sophisticated arrangements than typical singer-songwriter compositions, her soulful, self-assured voice flowing like warm conversation above Betty’s strummed R&B rhythms.
“I started on flute, and I play guitar, a little keys, and bass,” says Suun, whose musical inclinations emerged playing in band class at Ramblewood Middle School. ”I write all my own songs. They’re inspired by soul and jazz and a little bit of reggae as well.”
As well as a solo music career, Suun also plays with Miami-based band, Tewahebo. Her solo Broward appearances have been for SoFar Sounds.
“SoFar is really great,” she says. “Everybody’s really attentive. It seems like they care about hearing the music. I like that it’s intimate and that they keep it to three performers. It’s really short and sweet.”
Like Suun’s set.
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Nationally known singer-songwriter Bob Lind performing at the SoFar Sounds concert at Dania Beach Improv
Photo by Lilli Schipper
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A costumed Jason Schipper hosting the SoFar Sounds concert at Dania Beach Improv
Photo by Lilli Schipper
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Fort Lauderdale singer-songwriter Suun performing at the SoFar Sounds concert at Dania Beach Improv
Photo by Lilli Schipper
“SoFar is a global organization,” says LaRoque, a 24-year-old singer-songwriter. “We have people who do tours arranged for them by SoFar. We had one fellow come all the way in from the UK.”
It was there that SoFar was born in 2009 when American-born music enthusiast Rafe Offer — frustrated with the distractions at pubs and other music venues — invited eight people to his London flat to attentively listen to music. It has since grown into a global music community that its website says “creates space for live music in 400 cities around the world,” including Miami and The Palm Beaches.
“More than anything,” La Roque says, “it’s to highlight a listening room for the artist.”
In Fort Lauderdale, those rooms have ranged from the Easton Rooftop, which hosted the largest crowd of 100, to Red Pearl Yoga, which drew the smallest turnout with just under 40. LaRoque says one of the coolest locations was the Mad Arts immersive museum in Dania Beach, attended by 60 people last November.
“Mad Arts is really a trippy spot. They put us in an area where we could have videos repeating for each artist while they were playing. It’s a huge spot, so although we were able to fit more people, we didn’t want to max it out because we want to keep the intimacy of the show. It’s as much about the listener as it is the performer.”
LaRoque has been both, having begun his relationship with SoFar Sounds Fort Lauderdale in May of last year when he stood in for artists who’d dropped out at the last minute. Not long afterward, the Hollywood musician was asked to fill in again, this time as the lead city curator. In that role he coordinates artists and collaborates with venues, working with a team of five that includes two hosts, the second being his brother, Jacob; social media coordinator Lilli Schipper, emcee Jason’s wife; and a sound engineer. In the Fort Lauderdale chapter’s six years, LaRoque estimates the group has presented 75 shows, about one a month.
Regardless of how many tickets are sold, each artist receives the standard fee of $100 for a set of three to five songs. And when it comes to the artists, keeping the shows a secret gets a bit tricky.
“My approach is, as an artist, you can’t always keep your fans in the dark,” says LaRoque. “I’m OK if an artist gives the details. We just can’t promote it on our end. We don’t want them blasting it to everybody. But there’s also no way that everyone would know about the show just because one artist posted about it on social media. We’re still going to maintain the secret.”
IF YOU GO
WHAT : SoFar Sounds
WHERE: Harbor Village, East Pompano Beach
WHEN: 6:30 p.m., Friday, Nov. 15
COST: $20
INFORMATION:
sofarsounds.com/events
