This month’s featured space is nothing short of enchanting, the kind of backyard that feels like a secret garden—no, the secret garden. But, a space is only as magical as the people filling it, or, the ones who cultivated it. That’s Jim and Lisa Goldsworthy, two people who radiate warmth, hosts who’ve welcomed many of us into their backyard for more than 20 Sofars, and counting.
Jim and Lisa Goldsworthy, photo by Nikki A. Rae
Back in 2016, a friend invited Lisa and Jim out for a Sofar in Denver. “We were immediately hooked,” Lisa said. “As soon as we went to our first show, we wanted to become hosts.” The two put together a party in their backyard and took a little video, then showed it to Sofar Crew Ops Manager Brandy Sachen to give her a sense of the space. It wasn’t long before they were hosting Sofars.
Looking at Jim and Lisa’s backyard, it’s hard to imagine it as anything else but the lush space it is now. But back in 1992 when the two bought the house, it was the opposite. “The backyard was a place you didn’t want to go—nothing drawing you out there,” Jim said. So, they got to work. Over the next three decades, Jim and Lisa took it a little at a time—tilling the land, cleaning up trees, planting a garden, even building little fireplaces. “Every spring Jim would go out back and put his hands on his hips, and I knew it was gonna be something,” Lisa laughed. “Every single year.”
The backyard in full Sofar swing. Photo by Nikki A. Rae
“Over time it’s become—what do friends call it?” Lisa asked.
“A sanctuary,” Jim said. “And it’s not very big, it’s just a normal backyard, it’s just the way we utilized the space and the vibe that it has.”
The vibe is a welcoming one at every Sofar, even when the show is over. Once, Jim and Lisa were hanging in their backyard with the artists after a Sofar, and a group of women walked in, only to realize they’d missed the show. But that wasn’t a problem for the Goldsworthys—Jim simply invited them into the backyard to hang out. “They pulled up a chair and the musicians played some songs,” Jim said. “It was a great little intimate, 10 people [show] around the fireplace.”
“The people make the magic in that space,” Lisa said. “We’ve had beautiful opportunities of bands staying after the show and impromptu singalongs around the fire. That’s magic for us, we’re just so honored to be a part of the Sofar community. It’s changed our lives, we’re just passionate about it.”
Just when you think the backyard can’t become anymore magical…Photo by Nikki A. Rae
Photo credit: photo by Tiffiny Costello
