Friday, September 30, 2016

Sofar Sounds pop-up concert September 16, 2016 - Plastic Picnic, Edy Blu, Tyne

Sofar Sounds does secret venue/secret act living room concerts all over the world. The idea is that intimate settings and a lack of expectations create a magically environment for both the guests and performers. And the sets are all short - 30 minutes give or take - so even if you hate an act, they leave the stage soon enough. Eric and I tried it on the lunch patio/rehabbed loading dock of a Union Market startup office building made from a converted warehouse. Very hipster. The audience was mostly 20 to 30 somethings, but with enough diversity to not be entirely cliche. There were even a few people older than us 40-somethings.  Eric and I sat off on our own in the comfy chairs we claimed when we arrived, but the main mass of people were grouped closer together on benches and blankets, and there seemed to be some mingling of strangers, which is part of the point. Overall, I didn't find a new favorite, but I did enjoy the evening out very much. I recommend it for date night.

PLASTIC PICNIC
The first act were all from Seattle(?) but met in Brooklyn, and hadn't been together long. I got some hairy eyeballs for using my phone to take notes during the set, but this is what I wrote: guitar driven beach-inspired sound with lots of vocal reverb. Upbeat, dreamy, echoes, tinny, synth-heavy, uneven sound mixing.

Plastic Picnic, from Brooklyn











EDY BLU
Edy Blu is a singer songwriter from DC. She exhibited moments of vocal excellence, but most of her sound was too samey-samey for me. I think she could grow into some impressive musicianship. She has a great look and is good at engaging the crowd.

Edy Blu, from DC














TYNE
Her confidence and disarming personality were very nice, as was her banter. Her voice was lovely, but her style depressing. She even joked about being a 19 year old who writes depressing songs. I feel like I've heard too many artists who are similar, but she does have talent. She's just not my thing.
Tyne, from the UK