Most know Los Angeles’ Venice Beach neighborhood for its boardwalk and Pacific ocean views, but some get to know it for a special backyard. The space belongs to Patrick Takaya Solomon, a director, filmmaker, and Sofar host.
Patrick’s Backyard for a Sofar performance, photo by Alia Soliman
While most of us might find Sofar through a friend, or even on our own adventure, in Patrick’s case, Sofar kind of found him. “I [lived] next door, this was maybe four years ago, to five dudes in their late 20s—It was a bit of a frat house, but I liked them,” Patrick said. “One day I heard live music back there, and I walked back there and was like ‘what’s going on, this is great!’”
Patrick began to frequent the yard each time a Sofar show came around. When the neighbors eventually moved out, Patrick found himself hooked. So, he started hosting Sofar shows himself. Month after month, new faces showed up to find a lush backyard, packed with a wall of shrubs and trees, open grass, a game room, and a pool to lounge by while listening to artists perform. Patrick moved to the house in 1990 and slowly developed the space overtime, but the goal from the start was to make it a welcoming one.
“As a house we’ve really always liked having people over” Patrick said. “We made [the backyard] into an entertainment space, there’s lots of places to sit. In the very back corner there’s a stage area, so we raised that. We knew it was kind of a stage area you could put a DJ or a speaker. That lends it so well for the shows.”
Patrick Takaya Solomon, photo by Alia Soliman
“I gotta say, the vibe is so great,” Patrick said. “Everyone is really nice and friendly and excited to be here and watch music. It’s this community building thing that we get to be a part of. We love doing it.”
You never know what new friends you’re going to make at a Sofar, but of course, you also never know what artists you might get to discover, which is half the fun of the evening. “I feel like every single show, there’s at least one standout performer where you go, ‘oh my god, that person should be signed, they’re so good,’” Patricks said. “I think having that experience of finding new music and watching it live and going, ‘this person’s gonna be someone, I’m gonna hear about them down the road,’ that’s one big takeaway I love from every show.”
Patrick’s backyard’s currently under construction, but don’t worry, Patrick will be inviting us back as soon as the space is ready. And of course, that sunny LA weather lends itself to a dreamy backyard show year-round.
photo by Alia Soliman
Photo credit: Patrick’s backyard in Venice Beach, CA, photo by Alia Soliman
