Sofar: An alternative to your usual concert or gig

I squinted at the directions on my cellphone again, before telling the cab driver to stop. The map listed the address as well as a general location map of the gig, somewhere inside White Plains subdivision…but there was a problem. The house wasn’t there. “Are you also looking for the gig?” inquired a lady who I saw alight the cab before mine. Together we walk up and down the street, till I spied the words “Sofar Manila” printed on a simple sheet of legal paper.

Silhouettes of smoke greet me, along with a “Welcome to Sofar!” spoken by Li Perez, Sofar Manila’s Coordinator for Manila. She talked about Sofar’s birth in an East London living room, a simple affair between friends who decided gigs were meant for music. 

“People nowadays go to gigs or clubs and they don’t listen, they just text or talk to each other. They connect and that’s good, but we wanted a venue for the artists, for the music to be center stage.” The show starts shortly after. A crowd of about 50 entered the space. 

Sofar, which stands for “Songs from a Room,” is a worldwide movement and the prescribed location is ideally a living room. We are however, ushered into a space isn’t so much a living room as the empty space where a living room would be.

A layer of dust still hung in the air, perhaps from newly swept floors. The air was hot, stale and humid. A spotlight was shining from somewhere behind the performance area, baking the room further.

Granted, I was in jeans and a shirt while almost everyone else in the room followed the invitation’s dress code (“comfortable clothing”), but by the end of the first performer, everyone was sweat-drenched. The rules were laid down. No talking, no texting, phones on silent (“because we know no one is going to turn off their phones”).

Fashion designer Kate Torralba headlined the event, her voice a blend of Fiona Apple, Norah Jones and Regina Spektor – unique, edgy – with just a touch of Disney Princess. Everyone appreciated her distributing pink cardboard fans emblazoned with her album cover, which remained flapping till night’s end.

The second act was an alternative music group – She’s Only Sixteen. Four high school boys sang their hearts out about the usual love, loss and girl. Overall a solid second act, offering potential but not something particularly remarkable (yet).

The signal for a 15-minute break set off a controlled stampede towards the exit. I eavesdropped on some of the audience comments – centering around colorful language about the heat, the lack of a signal from within the cave and the general need to take a leak. 

Yet most of the discussion was stuff people usually talk about while the music was playing, catching up on friends, planning the weekend, etc. Did this mean that during the performance, they were just…listening? Saab Magalona’s group Cheats was the evening’s final act. I’d classify their sound somewhere between alternative rock and indie pop – definitely worth a listen especially if you like your music loud.

Overall Sofar Manila bills itself as a group that curates the best emerging artists to perform for select people in an intimate environment. This the local franchise’ fourth show and I have to say, the lack of a conducive listening environment took something out of the experience. Previous gigs were held inside a Jansport Store – that was smart, holding gigs in places designed to make patrons stay. Even with the best bands and the most attentive audience, wanting creature comforts make it very hard to appreciate music. 

This aside, the movement’s aims are worthwhile. Besides spotlighting new acts, Sofar fosters community. The event I attended had no bouncers, no security. There wasn’t a line for “patrons” or “box b.” There was a sense that people were going there for the music.

Sofar Manila’s gigs are held roughly once every three months. If you’re up to attending the next gig, sign up and learn more online by following them on Twitter, too. – Rappler.com

Reg Tolentino is a freelance contributor for several publications. He aspires to someday see his work in sci-fi/fantasy published