This year, the KFOG Private Concerts inside our own Levi’s® Lounge have come into their own. Earning a reputation as “the indie bookstore of the airwaves,” the 2017 private concerts have offered a chance to see artists big and small, about-to-go-big and already there, homegrown and hailing from across the world, “up close and personal in comfy chairs with maybe the best acoustics in the city.”
The premise of the private concerts haven’t changed: listeners get to take an hour out of their day to experience an artist or band play a few songs and do an interview with our on-air hosts, followed by a chance to meet the musicians themselves.
But somehow, no two private concerts are ever the same. In a space that intimate, an artist is freed from the pressure of performing their art to a sea of faces, of which they can only see those in the first row. I’ve come to see that the one thread that holds each show in Levi’s Lounge together is the moment the musicians come on stage, take a breath, and take in the sight of their fan’s faces, realizing that here, every seat in the room in the first row.
From that place, I’ve watched listeners get out of their chairs to keep up with the music. I’ve listened to hypnotic sets where the room collectively holds their breath with rapt attention, aware they are experiencing something unique, not wanting to miss a single chord. I’ve heard new music tried out and tried-and-true hits reinvigorated. There were days you could tell the artist was in their flow and days where “mistakes” were turned into improvisations, something beautiful and new.
Even after another incredible year of private concerts, there still is no way to predict exactly what will come through our doors in the year ahead. That’s because as a play space and a station, Levi’s® Lounge and KFOG continue to adapt to the musical landscape of our community. It’s that fluidity that makes each next show more exciting than the last. It’s an evolution that believes in the intangible connection between listener and artist, a place we cannot wait to start from again in the new year. But before we launch into all that is to come, we want to take a look at some our favorite moments from inside Levi’s Lounge from 2017.