The Coffee Loft: New grounds for local musicians

It peeks out from North Tamiami Trail like a caffeinated beacon between the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall and the Ringling Museum; Located near the Ringling College of Art + Design, New College of Florida and the Ringling arts complex, the Coffee Loft is a relaxing and inviting atmosphere for conversation, studying and, of course, bucket loads of coffee.

Alexander John Roberts started working at the coffee shop in May. A guitarist and drummer in local bands, Roberts realized that the establishment’s upstairs space, The Loft, was being drastically underutilized. And as an active member of Sarasota’s burgeoning local music scene, he saw an opportunity for local bands, friends and regional touring acts to perform for music-lovers of all ages. Since then, he's expanded The Loft’s lineup to include regular open mics, marathon concerts and touring bands, which have stopped by to energize Sarasota’s music scene.

Roberts sat down in The Loft with TWIS to talk about the new venue and Sarasota’s music scene.

What was this space used for before you became event coordinator?

We were only doing open mic nights, and I’ve been in bands pretty much my whole life playing the guitar and drums. I just saw the potential of this venue for all the bands I know in and around Sarasota.

This past Thanksgiving there was a local band marathon. How did that go in this intimate space for about 80 people?

It ended up being really cool. The space is actually awesome, acoustically. The drums go in the back, onstage, and the bands and crowd are integrated. The music resonates throughout the building and outside into the patio seating.

What made you decide to go from barista to coordinating concerts?

It takes a certain kind of person to have the heart to organize shows. I have a lot of friends who have to hang out around bars where most of the bands play, but usually something rough happens because of the presence of alcohol. We want to remove the negative connotations that surround shows at bars and utilize The Loft venue in a positive way.

Was it hard to get the word out that there were shows going here in a coffee house?

No, actually what’s cool about the music scene in Sarasota is that we’re all friends. People come from all around town to support their friends. It’s really nice that we have such a tight music scene. I think people got tired of experiencing shows where the crowd was just divided into a bunch of cliques. Here at The Loft, we just like listening to original music by our friends.

What do you want to do in the future with this venue?

Ideally, it’ll be great to have a mini Warped Tour feel. We own the empty lot adjacent to the coffee shop, so we can put up collapsible stages and have local businesses run booths and sell food. We’d have two stages preferably and be able to attract bigger-named acts. The Loft definitely brightens up and gives the neighborhood color for sure. Sarasota is known for the arts, and we’re just enhancing the overall arts scene.