Every music fan knows the frustration of trying to watch an artist struggle while chatty crowds talk over their set. One solution to that problem is living room shows, which typically draw more attentive audiences than the average bar show. Like any city worth its salt, Milwaukee has held its share of these shows over the years, and more are on the way. This Friday will see the Milwaukee debut of a secretive music series dedicated to the art of close listening: Sofar (short for Songs From a Room), a series that began in London before spreading to more than 70 cities.
Organized locally by Chandra Rudolph and Lizzy Altman, the series invites guests to RSVP to see surprise lineups at an intimate venue that's only announced the day before the show. That may seem needlessly clandestine, but there's a logic behind the secrecy. "We want our audience to appreciate the music of the night and support all of the artists and not to show up to support their favorite band and then leave," Rudolph says. "It's also about band discovery and creating a community of music lovers."
Sofar Milwaukee's first installment on July 11 will feature four local bands "of varying genres" playing stripped-down, four-song sets. It'll be BYOB. For more information on this show and future ones (Rudolph says the series hopes to host an event every four to six weeks), follow Sofar Milwaukee on Facebook.
