Last May, a group of local musicians, concert promoters, publicists, music critics and graphic artists realized that if they wanted to see change in the local music scene, they would have to bring it about themselves. It was with this mentality that the St. Louis Secret Sound Society was formed.
“At that point, we decided to start putting on shows and our first large undertaking, the Secret Sound Festival,” Liz Deichmann, a founder, said.
On Oct. 29 and 30 the group held their first Secret Sound Festival on Cherokee Street. The festival featured independent music and art.
“Our purpose was to pair the vibrant and eclectic Cherokee Street neighborhood, that is really an epicenter of creative resurgence in St. Louis, with independent art and music. We highlighted businesses on Cherokee Street by choosing them as venues for the festival and also encouraging business to be listed on the festival brochure,” Deichmann said.
Local groups such as So Many Dynamos, Sleepy Kitty, Black Spade, and Troubadour Dali performed at the festival. National acts included Cowboy Indian Bear, Netherfriends, Idiot Glee and Jookabox.
The Firecracker Press, Foam and 2720 Cherokee were among the Cherokee Street businesses highlighted.
Local artists David Langley and 18andCounting brought visual art and music together at each show. The artists created Halloween-themed stage construction and design for each venue.
“It was particularly amazing to see their work come together at The Festival After Party at 2720 Cherokee where the stage’s back drop was a large mummy head and a pile of dirt at the front of the stage with candles and tombstones,” Deichmann said.
Deichmann said that the group is happy with the outcome of the festival.
“We were able to bring people to Cherokee Street for the first time or to have them visit stores and locations that they hadn’t known of before. Also, creating the opportunity to bring stellar underground national bands to St. Louis – a place that can be easily skipped over on tours – and share it with festivalgoers is really wonderful,” Deichmann said.
She hopes that in the future the festival will continue to grow and include more businesses on Cherokee St.
At this time though, the group has no specific future plans to report.
“I look forward to collaborating with some of the wonderful resources available to the St. Louis music community from blogs to venues to bands. We have lots of ideas for possible multi-media projects and look forward to starting as our next endeavor,” Deichmann said.
Deichmann is a Saint Louis University alumna. While at SLU she was I was involved at KSLU and The Billiken Club, where she gained experience promoting independent music.
“I held a variety of positions in both organizations that really drove me to continue to be involved in music after I graduated,” Deichmann said.
