By Daniel Brock
One of my favorite parts about SMU is being connected to the Dallas Music Community. A big city offers a wide variety of opportunities that I would not be able to get in a small town. My favorite music event in Dallas is Sofar Sounds.
Basically, Sofar Sounds are these secret concerts from artist and bands that perform in a local’s living room. The whole organization is volunteer based, who plan and run the concerts. What you do is sign up on the Sofar website and if you get selected you and a friend get to attend the event for free. Sofar sounds is international and almost in every major big city in the US and England. The concerts are extremely exclusive, because they only have room for about 40-60 people each time. And once the doors close on the starting time, no one is aloud in or out and if you are late you are banned from being invited back.
Now I know that sounds intense, but the experience during the concert is unlike anything else in the world. By having the concerts in a local’s house, the music feels intimate and personal. The first 30 minutes you get to mingle with the guest and the bands. Afterwards the bands perform a 2 hour show. And you never know who is going to show up. The first Sofar Sounds I ever went to, Marcus Foster (from Foster the People) performed a solo set.
Just last November, I was extremely lucky because my friend and I got involved with the Sofar Sounds Dallas community, so she got to be in charge of the guest list and I got the host the event in my duplex. I never would have imagined when I moved to Dallas for SMU that I would be hosting a private concert in my house.
Sofar Sounds wanted to promote themselves with SMU students, so my friend and I were able invite up to 20 SMU students to spread the word. The show was amazing and performed everything from rock, alternative, and folk music. The O’s, the Roomsounds, and the Friendly Savages all performed about 4-5 songs each. Sometimes you might not be familiar with the bands, but this is the best way to discover up and coming artist. Each band has a unique sound and put on performances with stellar energy.
When I graduate this spring, I am glad I am able to leave a little SMU in the Sofar Sounds community and that SMU students will be going to Dallas Sofar Sounds concerts for years to come. By having SMU in Dallas, you get the best of both worlds of having the college experience and getting involved in the Dallas community.