Frequenters of the Sunset Strip expect to find their live bands
at exclusive clubs, not jamming for fans at the local record
store.
But the latter is often the scene at Sea Level Records, an
independent music store owned and operated by Tod Clifford since
2002. Sea Level is known for its free in-store shows, and has
previously hosted local and touring bands such as Irving, Radar
Brothers, John Vanderslice, Firewater and Silversun Pickups.
Los Angeles pop-rock band The 88, on tour for its sophomore
album “Over and Over,” will return to Sea Level on
Saturday at 3 p.m. for a free concert. The 88 has played a number
of free shows in Los Angeles, including a previous performance at
Sea Level and a stop at UCLA in 2003.
“Playing is playing for the most part, but playing record
stores is actually a lot of fun,” said Keith Slettedahl,
frontman of The 88. “I enjoy playing a smaller, more intimate
gig. You can get the audience to participate.”
Third-year marine biology student and UCLA Radio DJ Carman Tse,
who is always on the hunt for new music, is a frequenter of
in-store shows, which function as a way for him to see
up-and-coming acts on a more intimate level.
“A band like The 88 is still hungry for more
listeners,” Tse said. “That’s one of the good
things about playing free shows, so people can come by and check
them out. You can go into a record store one day and not realize
there’s a show going on. You can be pleasantly surprised by
whoever’s playing. That’s part of the magic of
it.”
Many students attend in-store shows not only because they are
free and open to all ages, but also to take part in its interactive
dynamic, an element that can be hard to come by in some of Los
Angeles’ larger venues.
While perhaps not as frequently as Sea Level, other music
retailers hold in-store performances as well. Amoeba Music does
this on a large scale and in an oftentimes unannounced fashion,
creating surprise and allowing close contact with bigger acts such
as Elvis Costello.
Sea Level’s focus is primarily on local and newly emerging
acts.
“We get a lot of bands that come through and no one knows
who they are,” Clifford said. “One of the big reasons
we get (these) bands is because they can’t get a show
somewhere else. This town is pretty tough to do in-stores because
the promoters don’t like it. The good thing about this store
though, is that you can say that two years ago you saw Jerk With a
Bomb and now they’re Black Mountain. There were only four
people at that show, but you could have been there.”
On top of giving local bands the exposure they’re often
desperate for, Sea Level also gives them the advantage of selling
their own merchandise at the store, a practice often frowned upon
by larger music stores. According to Clifford, however, this is not
necessarily a bad practice.
“I look at it in the way that they play, and I sell other
records,” Clifford said. “I’d rather see these
smaller bands sell their two CDs than us. They can get gas money
for the next trip they’re headed to. It actually promotes
them so that people who don’t know them get a taste of
it.”
Sea Level also functions as a home base for some bands, which
drop into the store for “bathroom breaks” before bigger
gigs, according to Clifford.
Being a host for free shows, however, does have its
disadvantages. Sea Level has to match up with the rest of Los
Angeles, full of venues with more advanced equipment and precise
acoustics. But even with this challenge, the small record store
still has more concerts than it can handle.
“Oh, this isn’t even half of it,” Clifford
said as he flipped through stacks of extensively labeled Polaroid
pictures taken at each show.
“We’re slowing it down. … We were on a tear for a
while and had just a ridiculous amount (of shows). It’s tough
attracting a crowd when you have so many shows with so much going
on in L.A.”
Sea Level may never have an artist as big as Costello rocking
the stage. It does, however, give the audience the novelty of
experiencing a new act while benefiting the band at the same
time.
“There’s definitely an added bonus here: see the
band for free, buy their music at the store, get it signed the same
day. That’s a hell of a deal,” Tse said.