Barb Rocks
| Barb Rocks | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Barbara Manuela Wähli |
| Born | July 2, 1971 Zurich, Switzerland |
| Genres | rock, indie, alternative, pop, punk |
| Occupation(s) | Talent manager |
| Years active | 2006–present |
| Associated acts | Pounders, Fritz Montana, Stormy Strong, The Trash Pop Icons, All City Elite, Chris Ely |
| Website | www |
Barbara Wahli /ˈwɔːliː/ (born July 2, 1971), known by her moniker Barb Rocks, is an American band manager, promoter, music festival producer, and blogger. She started her business Barb Rocks Presents in 2006 and has been working with San Francisco Bay Area bands in artist management and event production ever since.
Early life and education[edit]
Wahli was born in Zürich, Switzerland, to Zlata (née Musil) and Ulrich Wähli, an engineer. Her father removed the umlaut in Wähli to Americanize the last name when the family moved to the United States in 1975. After receiving her Bachelor of Arts in Communication studies from the University of Colorado at Boulder, Wahli started working in the semiconductor industry in San Jose, CA, working her way up in the Sales & Marketing field. Since her passion in life has always been music, Wahli decided to get involved in the local music scene in late 2005, discovering up-and-coming South Bay talent.
Career[edit]
Wahli started Barb Rocks Presents in April 2006 when a local British restaurant and pub named Britannia Arms in Cupertino, CA, asked her to book some live entertainment to revitalize their business and bring new patrons to their bar. After a year of successful monthly shows at The Brit, Wahli decided to branch out her services to other live music friendly venues in the South Bay, increasing the amount of shows she hosted. By 2009, Wahli had established herself well in the local music community, booking shows at five venues on a regular basis and working with bands from all over California, as well as national touring artists.
Dubbed the "queen of the south bay scene" by local FCC Free Radio DJ of the Unbound Sound Show, Wahli has become the hub of an ever-expanding San Jose music scene, continually increasing her network of music contacts.[1] Wahli has always kept the passion and experience at the forefront of her every endeavor, keeping the philosophy of "music first" and making sure the bands aren't taken advantage of. Her success in San Jose led to a few opportunities to book some well-known artists, including Mike Herrera of MxPx and The Original Wailers, as well as organizing a private show for Foster The People in San Jose during their tour on the Do Good Bus in 2011.[2][3]
Wanting to expand her business and experience, Wahli ventured into talent management in 2008, offering San Jose bands business support with branding, booking, promotions, and publicity. Wahli is currently managing Pounders, Fritz Montana, The Trash*Pop Icons, Stormy Strong, All City Elite, and Chris Ely.
Wahli is a core group member of the community outreach movement that created and hosted Left Coast Live, a premier downtown San Jose annual music festival that ran from 2009 to 2011.[4][5][6] Wahli also handled social media outreach for West Fest, the Woodstock 40th Anniversary Celebration in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco during the Fall of 2009.[7][8] Wahli has teamed up with other Bay Area music organizations, knowing these collaborations would lead to bigger and better things for the South Bay scene. Currently she's working with Make A Scene San Jose, which hosts monthly meetings to grow the San Jose music scene through networking and awareness. In summer 2010, Wahli made her 52 Bands in 52 Weeks blog idea a reality, in hopes the blog would bring more attention to the amazing talent in the Bay Area.[9]
Wahli is appreciated by her peers for all her hard work and dedication to revitalizing the local music scene, which earned her the honor of being picked as Best South Bay Scene Queen by Metro Newspapers in September 2010, stating that "her energy is infectious, and her ear for local talent remarkable." [10]
References[edit]
- ↑ "Unbound Sound Show, Ep27 - Hillside Fire & Northern Son". The Unbound Sound Show. 2010-02-03.
- ↑ "Foster The People 10/14/11". Barb Rocks YouTube. 2011-10-17.
- ↑ "Foster The People: Do Good Bus Recap Video". Do Good Bus. 2012-01-31.
- ↑ "About Left Coast Live". Left Coast Live. Retrieved 2013-02-09.
- ↑ "Hot Sounds in the City". Metroactive. 2009-05-06.
- ↑ "Review: Limousines at Left Coast Live". Metroactive. 2011-10-10.
- ↑ "West Fest, 40th Anniversary of Woodstock". 2b1 Multimedia Inc. Retrieved 2013-02-09.
- ↑ "Woodstock 40th SF Twitter". Twitter. Retrieved 2013-02-09.
- ↑ "52 Bands in 52 Weeks". Blogspot. Retrieved 2013-02-09.
- ↑ "The Best of Silicon Valley 2010: Music & Nightlife Staff Picks". Metroactive. 2010-09-22.
External links[edit]
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