In the year and a half since we launched SoundDiego, we have posted thousands of previews, reviews, show listings, galleries and videos, but the number we're focused on right now is 3 million.
We recently realized we had passed an online milestone -- 3 million page views -- prompting us to take a look back at where we've been (here's a link to how we got things going, courtesy of Chris Cantore).
Back in November, we notched our 1 millionth page view. It took us about 10 months to get there, and in the 10 months since then, we doubled that number. On our way to that 3 million mark, we've shot photographs and videos at nearly every live music venue in the county -- take a look at some of our favorite clips:
Since we launched in 2010, we've thrown 13 free SoundDiego LIVE parties (and our launch bash) at venues around the county, including Analog, Bar Basic, West Coast Tavern and many others. Up this month: Soda Bar (get on the guest list here). A few that stand out, in no particular order, took place at the Saloon in Encinitas, the House of Blues San Diego, the Firehouse, in PB, and Anthology (thanks to our friend and video photographer Tom Zizzi for the great party clips).
Along the way we've met hundreds of musicians of all ages from all genres, been to the San Diego Music Awards (twice), the North Park Music Thing, Coachella (twice), South By Southwest (also twice), Sunset Sessions (twice) and are now even starting to program and sponsor shows ourselves (more on that later).
We have also had some fun during the last year inviting local musicians into our studio to shoot music videos -- we call them SoundDiego Sessions. Take a look at a few by San Diego Music Award winners Little Hurricane and Maren Parusel, and Grammy nominees Nortec Collective Presents Bostich + Fussible.
On top of all that, we've enlisted San Diego musicians to contribute their music to NBC 7 San Diego broadcasts -- we've currently got more than 700 songs from dozens of local artists -- everybody from Slightly Stoopid to the Silent Comedy to many of this year's San Diego Music Award winners and nominees.
It's been a hell of a ride, one we could not have made without the contributions of the other members of our original team -- Rosemary Bystrak of sdDialedIn; T. Loper and Chris Maroulakos of OwlandBear, and, of course, the abovementioned Chris Cantore, who went back on the air at 102.1 KPRI-FM last year -- as well as friends like Nada Alic (FriendsWithBothArms); Marc Balanky, of PhotoSanDiego.; photographer Vito Di Stefano; SDRiddimVibez' Gwendolyn Jackson; Scott McDonald of Eight24; DJ Robin Roth of 91X; and Quan Vu, who puts together SDRaps. And thanks, also, to the still photographers who go out every week and bring it back to share: Ryan Cowen, Marissa Carter, John Hancock, Dan Chusid, Anthony Tran, Steve Covault, Chuck Lapinsky, Jim Grant, Paul Parks and Samaria Daniel.
Thanks, also, should go to our friends at AEG LIVE, Anthology, Humphreys Concerts By the Bay, Live Nation, KPRI, 91X, FM 94.9, the House of Blues, the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, the Del Mar Fair, the Belly Up, the Casbah, M-Theory Records, the San Diego Symphony, CityBeat and Sunset Sessions and many, many other businesses around the county -- they help us keep the lights on and help us shine a light on the local music scene.
Thanks most of all to you, San Diego music fans, for going out and listening to live music and creating a music community so shockingly vibrant that visitors from LA and New York wonder what we're slipping in their drinks.
