Sofar Sounds Back at BD
On Friday we hosted our second Sofar Sounds show in our courtyard. The team at Sofar Sounds chooses unique locations to host intimate, acoustic shows throughout Chicago and after a fantastic outdoor show last month, Beyond was asked to host again. Sofar extends past Chicago’s broad shoulders and takes place around the world in 411 cities. The allure of a Sofar Sounds show is that the location and artists are not revealed until a day before the event. The music is as diverse as the venues (everything from an acoustic set in a loft, living room, restaurant space, or the Beyond courtyard). The artists range from local up and comers, underground musicians, and also renowned singers like Ed Sheeran, Hozier, and Karen O. On Friday we had a packed house and welcomed three new artists to the BD stage.
Our space lit up with 3 different acts and over nearly 100 people stretched across our studio lawn. Guests came prepared with blankets, snacks, and drinks and were prepared to beat the heat and came ready to enjoy live music in our cozy courtyard tucked away in Ravenswood. With the fountain bubbling and string lights glowing, we were ready for a night of music and intimate performances.
The first artist of the night was folk pop guitarist and singer out of Brooklyn, Jodan DePaul. DePaul had his breakout in 2016 with the release of his first EP, “Forces,” that featured “Brighter Shade of Blue,” the most popular track that racked nearly 1,500,000 plays on Spotify. Since his last release, Jordan has been focusing on what he describes as “working on what I want to give to people. I want to write songs I don’t know how I lived without before and hope that listeners feel the same way about them.” After touring over 60,000 miles during his “Forces” era, DePaul spent the majority of last year writing and recording and is now back on the gig circuit playing shows in Chicago and Tennessee at the end of the month.
Following DePaul was Chicago native, Meagan McNeal. McNeal started her solo vocalist career in 2007 and was notably on The Voice in 2017. “Meagan has shared her voice in venues across the country and abroad. From songs of love, peace, and self-discovery, she is well on her way into evolving into the star she is destined to be.” Meagan was accompanied by a pianist and sang originals as well as covers of the Beatles and Sade. The intimate set was made even more collaborative as McNeal asked the audience to sing along with her and walked into the crowd.
Our final act of the night came from Indy electro-pop duo, Dream Cheif. The pair was formed in 2015 and consists of cousins Luke and John Tuttle playing the bass and keys. Their usual synth and bass heavy sound was stripped down for the night and closed out the show with a handful of crooning singles. If you were at our second Sofar Show make sure you tag your photos #ThinkBeyond and keep an eye out for the next Sofar Sounds Show in Ravenswood next month!
Puppies are welcome to Sofar Sound shows.
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