New Noise Santa Barbara Reveals Musical Treats

Michael Franti & Spearhead to Open Inaugural Conference; Plus Performances by Edward Sharpe & Magnetic Zeros, Har Mar Superstar, Mad Caddies, No Use for a Name, Zach Gill & Kyle Hollingsworth, the Culver City Dub Collective, and Dozens More Bands

Santa Barbara, Calif., August 28, 2009 — With slightly more than a month to go before New Noise Santa Barbara (www.newnoisesb.com), the live bands are starting to line up for the inaugural conference and festival, which goes down October 8-10, 2009, on the American Riviera.

Kicking off New Noise on Thursday, October 8, is a special live performance from Michael Franti & Spearhead, the socially conscious, environmentally wise, politically active funk/soul/hip-hop/folk/reggae/rock band from San Francisco whose current hit single “Say Hey (I Love You)” from the 2008 album All Rebel Rockers continues to spread Franti’s message of peace, love, and hope for future generations. They’ll be headlining the opening night bash at the historic Arlington Theatre in downtown Santa Barbara, setting a strong pace for the following Friday and Saturday's daytime discussions about the music industry and evening concerts in Santa Barbara’s nightclubs and bars. Tickets for the Michael Franti & Spearhead show go on sale Friday, August 28, at noon, via the Arlington Theatre (www.thearlingtontheatre.com; 805-963-4408) or Ticketmaster (www.ticketmaster.com).

“Michael Franti & Spearhead are a perfect fit for New Noise,” said the conference’s president Jeff Theimer. “Their independent, organic rise to fame is exactly the sort of spirit we hope to spread with our event. Throw in Franti’s dedication to education, commitment to sustainability, and his ability to use music as a force for global change, and we couldn’t have picked a more inspiring and powerful artist to kick off the first New Noise Santa Barbara.”

Also confirmed as part of New Noise’s musical treats are Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeroes, modern prophets of big-band indie folk-rock who will play at SOhO Restaurant and Music Club on Saturday, October 10; a night of poppy punk-ska from Santa Barbara’s own Mad Caddies, who’ll be playing with No Use for a Name on October 8 at Velvet Jones; some silly sexual energy from Har Mar Superstar, who’s hitting up the Sandbar on October 9; jam-friendly keyboarding superstars Zach Gill (of ALO and Jack Johnson’s band) and Kyle Hollingsworth (of the String Cheese Incident) at SOhO on October 9; the ska-dub-tastic Culver City Dub Collective at the Sandbar on October 10; and a special showcase of local flavor on Saturday, October 10, at Whiskey Richards, sponsored by The Santa Barbara Independent and KCSB 91.9 FM. Another 30-plus bands will be announced in the coming weeks for venues small and large, with tickets available online at www.newnoisesb.com starting August 28.

But New Noise — which combines the popular local success of the Santa Barbara International Film Festival with the tried-and-true format of Austin, Texas’ South-By-Southwest — isn’t just about live music. There’s also quite a slate of speakers lining up from the music and technology industries ready to share their insight with attendees in the conference rooms of the Canary Hotel (www.canarysantabarbara.com).The conference is a perfect opportunity for people from all corners of the music, media, and digital worlds to converge, discuss the latest trends, debate the best 21st century strategies, and network toward a brighter future.

The event’s Friday keynote speaker is Tim Westergren, founder of Pandora Radio. Already confirmed for the Friday and Saturday panels — which will cover everything from publishing 101 to the future of mobile media in music — are: Randy Spendlove (president of music for Paramount Pictures), Ethan Kaplan (vice president of technology for Warner Bros), Lisa Worden (music director at KROQ), J Scavo (general manager of MySpace Records), Louie Bandak (A&R at Interscope Records), Tom Merritt (executive director of CNET.com), and Luke Ebbin (13-times platinum producer and founder of MusikControl.com). Click here for a complete list of panelists.

There will also be two separate panels focused on sustainability in the music industry — one on how to make your concerts and events more environmentally responsible and the other on how to become a eco-conscious musician. The confirmed panelists represent perhaps the biggest brain-trust of industry eco-experts, from Red Bull’s sustainability coordinator Jamie Simon and Jack Johnson’s All-at-Once Tour veteran Jessica Scheeter to recycling guru Bob Hollis and One Percent for the Planet boardmember and attorney Lara Pearson. 

Badges are now on-sale, and range from “Platinum Pass” — an all-inclusive front-of-the-line pass for all panels, speakers, club shows, and the Arlington Theatre events for $199 — to the “Priority Pass”, which is $150 and gets you into the conference and club shows, but not the Arlington Theatre events. There are also student passes for $70, which are valid for both the conference and club shows, and the “locals-only” $40 wristband for those residing in the 805 area code, which get you into all three days of New Noise club shows. Tickets for the Arlington Theatre will also be on sale for separate purchase when the show is announced. To purchase badges and tickets, visit www.newnoisesb.com.

Meanwhile, the musical lineup continues to grow, and more showcases will be announced as soon as they are confirmed. Bands who are interested in playing New Noise can submit their music and information through Sonic Bids. See www.sonicbids.com.

Stay in touch by registering for updates at www.newnoisesb.com.