Beginning as a music and art show at the Phoenix Lofts, The Loft Show has now amassed such a following, that it takes place in two cities and multiple times a month.
ACM: Can you explain briefly who you are and what you do for our readers?
The Loft Show: The Bham Loft Show was created in March of 2017. We are a monthly music, art, creative endeavor show that started in a loft in downtown Birmingham. Now, we host shows on the last Friday of every month at MAKEbham, with the occasional special mid-month show at various locations.
"We had a space and an opportunity, and we just went for it."
photos courtesy of The Loft Show
ACM: How did creating the Loft Show first come about? What’s your story?
The Loft Show: It’s really a pretty simple story. In the beginning, we realized we knew a lot of very talented people with a wide range of skills, and we wanted to create a way to celebrate those talents and build community here. We were all relatively new to Birmingham or had just returned after years away and wanted to meet more people. We had a space and an opportunity, and we just went for it. Soon after the first show, we realized there was a void in our community, and we somehow started something that seemed to fill that void. The Loft Show was created with the idea of bringing people together and building community, while giving them a platform to present and display their passions. We have been able to work with seasoned artists and musicians as well as people who have never done a show before.
ACM: How does being in Birmingham shape your events if it does at all?
The Loft Show: Birmingham seems to be unique in that it is a decent sized city with a small town feel. Because of that small town feel, people really value supporting locals and new projects. It feels like we are always hearing about new bands, artists, shops and restaurants that are opening, and everyone wants to go out to support the newest thing. We somehow have found this sweet spot of presenting new music and art to the city while celebrating the talent that we have locally.
ACM: What is the art community like in Birmingham?
The Loft Show: To us, the art community in Birmingham feels tight knit and all about relationships. Ever growing and evolving. In the last few years, Birmingham has made some real strides in pushing through the, metaphoric, wall of opposition to change. We have room to grow, but it seems as though the creative scene that has made it this far has built a solid foundation for pushing even more boundaries and growing in new ways.
"It’s a unique way of providing diversity and culture to a very traditional southern city. Birmingham is very encouraging to creatives and restoring passion to take chances."
ACM: Do you feel like the art community is growing in Birmingham? and what do you think it will add to the city?
The Loft Show: We definitely feel like the art community is constantly growing and finding its voice. It’s a unique way of providing diversity and culture to a very traditional southern city. Birmingham is very encouraging to creatives and restoring passion to take chances.
ACM: There are many events old and new for artists in Birmingham, are there any that you particularly enjoy or are a part of outside of your own?
The Loft Show: We try to attend as many local shows as we can. That is something we all loved doing before the loft show and still love to do as much as possible. A few of our favorites are Makebhm, the Firehouse, the Yellow House, Ground Floor Contemporary, and Indieframes. There are plenty more but those are the first few that come to mind. They do an amazing job of really supporting the art community and diy scene in Birmingham.
ACM: What do you feel like Birmingham lacks, in terms of artistic spaces/opportunities?
The Loft Show: Really, we feel like Birmingham is lacking in variety and non traditional opportunities. Like we said the community is small, growing, but small. We love hearing about new people in the music/art world. We love hearing about new shows and venues. We love when people take a chance to show their creativity. We feel like Birmingham is just starting to branch out, and it’s exciting to see how far we have grown. But we can’t wait to see what’s coming.
ACM: When you first started the Loft Show did you think it’d become this big?
The Loft Show: No, definitely not! We still ask each other how we got to this point, and before every show, we still wonder if anyone will show up. But I think that is a testament to the community and their support of each other. Because we don’t feel like it has anything to do with us. The reaction to the first show really surprised us and has continued to do so every month. We feel incredibly lucky and grateful to have been able to do this for over a year and a half.
ACM: What makes the Loft Show different from other art events in Birmingham?
The Loft Show: We try to hit all aspects of creativity: music, visual art, graphic design, comedy, cooking/baking, cocktails, and shop pop ups. We typically don’t turn away any form of art. And I think our consistency possibly sets us apart. We’ve been doing monthly shows on the last Friday of every month since March of 2017 and haven’t missed one yet.
ACM: How do y’all find the artists/musicians that are featured at the shows?
The Loft Show: Honestly, most of the people have contacted us. After doing this for over a year and a half, we have developed a pretty good contact list of local artists and musicians so we can curate the shows. We also love going to other shows to see new bands and artists around town.
ACM: What has spreading the Loft Show to Louisville been like?
The Loft Show: One of the co-creators of the Loft Show is from Louisville. So when she moved back home, she already knew all the ins and outs of planning the show, which made for an easy transition. It’s been exciting to watch how their team has been able to transform the Loft Show to fit Louisville’s needs. We can’t wait to see what happens in the future!
". . . providing a platform for more people! That’s always the goal. "
ACM: What do y’all hope to do with the Loft Show in 2019?
The Loft Show: Maintain our consistency and grow. We have been doing more mid-month shows recently focused around specific musicians. We have also done a few album releases, which is exciting that people want to share that with us. We held a charity show in May of 2018, and we’re definitely going to do more of those in 2019. And of course, providing a platform for more people! That’s always the goal.