After kicking off “The Future of Awesome Tour” in NYC, Nashville was the second destination to host the monthly 12 city event series for December. In conjunction with the rapidly growing London founded brand Sofar Sounds, it only seemed fitting for Nashville to be included, based on how Sofar Sounds originated: Providing a respectful and intimate setting for artists to showcase in front of attentive listeners.
Intentionally choosing smaller venues, the Center 615 Gallery was extremely well attended with a relatively diverse crowd of music lovers. The casual “blankets on the floor, bring your small cooler” approach is what makes these events so inviting. No pretense. No elaborate production. Just raw talent and music lovers united.
There definitely isn’t a shortage of compelling artists to choose from in Nashville and the selected line-up for this show made quite an impact.
Keeping things relevant, Kylie Frey opened the show with her ambient “smart country” style. Kylie was one of the recent finalists on the hit USA Network show, “Real Country”. Her 3 piece acoustic live approach included pedal steel, bass and guitar. With swirling vocal harmonies and clever melodic movement, Frey’s simple songwriting and powerful performance was impactful and moving. One of the songs that stood out from the former rodeo queen was “Rodeo Queen Without a Crown”.
You can check her out at www.kyliefrey.com
Next we were delighted to hear something a little different from the female duo, The Daily Fare. Catching us off guard a bit with a rendition of “Son of a Preacher Man”, the dramatic presentation in a minor key definitely showcased their blend of contemporary blues and indie folk rock. Their acoustic driven performance was extremely expressive, giving a truly heartfelt delivery. Their songwriting definitely has purpose and meaning. If Patty Griffin needs a solid opening act, The Daily Fare would be the perfect support. For more info go to www.thedailyfaremusic.com.
Closing the show, The Vegabonds confidently took the stage with their blend of 70s southern rock (The Allman Brothers, The Eagles) and crossover pop country. The amount of experience this group has is evident in their live performances, being together as a unit for 10 years and touring consecutively 200 dates out of the year. Another vocally oriented group, the sound they create being a 3 piece is impressive. This Alabama bred, Nashville-based group has new music releasing in January, so to dial in with them you can go to www.thevegabonds.com.
“Sofar is committed to showcasing emerging artists all over the world, and we are excited to partner with Xfinity to support that mission in an authentic way to bring even more awareness to our artist community,” said Ellis Reid, global partnerships director at Sofar Sounds. “We’re privileged to have Dinah Jane curating the performers from our vast network of musicians. She is an amazing talent with diverse musical sensibilities that truly adds another layer of credibility to this partnership.”
For those who aren’t able to attend in person, Comcast will launch a special destination on Xfinity X1, Comcast’s video service that allows users to search and navigate live TV, on demand movies and shows, web video, and apps like Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, YouTube, Pandora, NPR, Sling TV, and iHeartRadio, all on a single, voice-controlled platform. Throughout the “Future of Awesome Tour,” Xfinity X1 will allow customers to gain access over the Internet to behind-the-scenes content via YouTube from both Jane and her hand-picked Sofar artists. They can also keep up with the latest on the tour by following @dinahjane97, @sofarsounds and @Xfinity on social media.
Music is an emerging category for Xfinity, bolstered by both a growing collection of X1 partners like Pandora, iHeart Radio, YouTube and NPR, and through curated Xfinity On Demand destinations to help customers discover and enjoy all the great content available to them.
“Music fans rely on technology more than ever to discover new artists, share music and connect with one another on social media,” said Matt Lederer, executive director of partnership marketing at Comcast. “Our partnership with Sofar Sounds and Dinah Jane gives us a chance to support emerging artists and bring their music into living rooms across the country through the combination of the fast Internet and a one-of-a-kind Xfinity X1 experience. Together, we’re helping them unlock the latest music while supporting emerging artists on their journey to success.”
For Jane – who first gained notoriety as a contestant on “The X Factor” and as a member of the award-winning group Fifth Harmony — that journey of establishing herself as an artist is still fresh in her mind. As someone who received mentorship and guidance from industry veterans on the show, she is eager to pay it forward.
“I’m excited to partner with Sofar Sounds and Comcast to introduce music fans across the U.S. to some of the newest voices of our generation on Xfinity’s ‘Future of Awesome Tour,’” said Jane, 21, who will be making appearances in select cities. “Having the opportunity to do so means a lot to me because I was in their shoes as a new artist just a few short years ago. With the support of Xfinity and Sofar Sounds, we’ll be able to showcase these artists’ raw vocal abilities, musicianship and passion for performing.”
In 2019, Xfinity’s “Future of Awesome Tour” will connect music fans to emerging talent in the following cities:
•Atlanta
•Berkeley (Calif.)
•Boston
•Burlington (Vt.)
•Chicago
•Denver
•Detroit
•Philadelphia
•Portland
•Washington, D.C.
For more information, please visit https://www.sofarsounds.com/lp/xfinity.
