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FeedThe Kids are Alright
Mike Barsch understands what it means to be young and under the spell of rock ‘n’ roll. As the Boulder-based owner of Soda Jerk Presents, Barsch saw plenty of rock and punk shows as a teen. He even took part in a few during his brief punk rock career. So it’s no surprise his company promotes live music for fans of all ages to savor. “It’s important to carry that on, to create memories and friendships,” Barsch says.
To experience a Soda Jerk show at a club like the Marquis Theater on Larimer Street is to watch different generations unite under one song, one band at a time. The youngsters typically flock right up to the front of the stage while patrons of drinking age hang back at the bar and let the music wash over them. Soda Jerk routinely serves up shows featuring several promising young Denver bands, often at prices that won’t crush a teen’s checking account.
“For me, it’s always been really important to have all our shows be inclusive for everybody, no matter what age,” he says. “Kids are really the most enthusiastic when it comes to the music. They’re up front, going crazy, buying the merch.” Despite younger crowds, the venues respect the drinking age.
“We could certainly pick some shows that are 21 and older, but it never made sense to me,” says Barsch, who oversees five office staffers and up to 30 employees at two concert locations: the Black Sheep in Colorado Springs and the Marquis.
Soda Jerk began its life roughly 14 years ago as a Colorado-based record label. Now Soda Jerk works behind the scenes of more than 500 shows a year and has promoted bands as diverse as Dashboard Confessional and the Jonas Brothers through the years. “We took it upon ourselves to book shows for our label,” he says. The organization grew but not as Barsch expected.
“We were selling more tickets than we were records,” he says. So he shuttered the label and poured his energy into promotion. It was a smart move, and Barsch credits hard work — and a touch of prognostication — for Soda Jerk’s progress. “I’ve always been able to find those acts we felt were worth working with, acts we felt had a future,” he says, crediting a “good gut” for the music industry.
But no gut is perfect. Soda Jerk passed on The Fray initially, he says.
A Milwaukee native, Barsch enjoys the camaraderie that exists within the Denver music scene. “It’s a really cohesive group of artists. I don’t get the sense there’s a lot of competition and backstabbing, which you find in other cities,” he says.
Barsch and Soda Jerk have had a hand in grooming some of the biggest local acts of the past two years including Single File, Tickle Me Pink, and the Photo Atlas. Barsch was among the first people in Denver to realize the potential of 3Oh!3, Boulder’s rap-rock duo whose song “Don’t Trust Me” became the anthem for MTV’s Spring Break 2009.
Recently, Soda Jerk took ownership of both the Marquis and Black Sheep, which includes a whole new set of challenges. “We were reluctant at first. It’s a big step,” he says, one that gives his company new revenue streams — and new headaches — including rock ‘n’ roll–related damage. “We deal with everything that goes along with owning your own business,” he says with a laugh.
Randy Ramirez, the lead singer of Denver’s power-pop band The Heyday, recalls starting his musical career with Soda Jerk in his corner. The then 15-year-old Ramirez was pulled aside after one gig by a Soda Jerk employee who gave him some tough, but ultimately critical, career advice.
“He pretty much told me to get a new band. No one is brave enough to say things like that,” says Ramirez, who eventually did as instructed and began forming what would become The Heyday. Today, Ramirez’ band benefits from Soda Jerk’s youth-minded showcases. “For whatever reason, our fan base has been mostly under 21,” he says. “Without Soda Jerk, we’d have a tough time booking many headlining shows in Denver.”
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