Local, regional acts of all genres featured in performance series

Every week mobs of students flock to The Bluebird and Bear's Place to relax and check out the sounds of the latest emerging local bands. Now, thanks to the School of Fine Arts, students might flock to the SoFA Gallery to hear Soundbites.\nSoFA created Soundbites -- a Friday afternoon series of musical performances by bands that hail from the Midwest and features music from a variety of genres such as art-folk, ambient and electronica music, to name a few. It is the culmination of an effort by SoFA to collectively promote an interest in both visual and musical art. \n"(Soundbites) is geared toward the average audience and is meant to serve as both a cultural and educational experience," said Dana Sperry, the gallery's associate director. "Music adds a cultural feel to the (Gallery) and helps us reach out to a new audience." \nThough the name Soundbites may suggest a low profile sampling of music, it is actually more like a series of concerts. The gallery features original performances from bands as well as a collection of contemporary art pieces. \nWith Soundbites, the gallery hopes to stimulate an interest in contemporary art forms so that students as well as the general public will become regular supporters of the gallery. \n"We must constantly reinvent the space and keep it thriving with fresh ideas or people will be bored," Sperry said.\nThe Soundbites series debuted Sept. 12 with Bloomington natives Drawbackward & Michael Kapinu. Non-student Robert Barker went to the first show because his roommate is in Drawbackward. \n"Overall I thought the show was great," Barker said. "Although it was kind of difficult to hear the vocals, people were dancing and everyone was having a good time." \nThere are some difficulties involved with having the Soundbites series in the SoFA gallery, a venue that was intended to house visual arts. \n"The great thing about performing in the gallery is that the audience is forced to stand up," said Josh Kruzman, a guitarist for Drawbackward. "This creates an environment that is more intimate than usual. But one of the difficulties of performing in the gallery is that the high ceilings make it tough for the audience to hear the lyrics."\nThere was a strong showing on hand that night to witness the sights and sounds. \n"I was a little surprised to see such a big turnout," Kruzman said. "The art community in Bloomington is really strong."\nChicago natives The Stirrats will perform Oct. 17 from 7 to 9 p.m. A small door fee will be assessed to cover the cost of administering the Soundbites series. \n"I don't think that the admissions fee will discourage people from coming since the fee would be similar to the cover charge you would pay at a bar," Barker said.\nThe gallery expects that as a result of its low admission fees, live music and visual arts, students will choose to spend a Friday night or two near the SoFA.\n"The gallery is a unique alternative for IU students in that it attracts people from a variety of age groups who have varying interests in different types of art forms," said Mike Klinge, in charge of booking bands for Soundbites. \n-- Contact staff writer Joshua Hamm at jodhamm@indiana.edu.