Two Sundays ago, on Aug. 14, the Bohemian and our sister paper, Marin’s Pacific Sun, hosted the 2016 NorBay Music Awards at Juilliard Park in Santa Rosa. It was one of our biggest and best events, drawing over 300 people to the park for two hours of music and dancing while we handed out awards to several bands and promoters onstage.
As the arts editor for the past 12 months, this was my first go at heading up the annual awards show, and I don’t think it could have gone any better. That’s in thanks to the many partners and the bands, the Crux and the Rhythm Rangers, who joined us to entertain our friends and fans.
I want to give a special thanks to Tara Thompson of Santa Rosa’s Recreation and Parks department, who enthusiastically worked with us to coordinate the event as part of the city’s annual “Live at Juilliard” concert series. Going back to January, Tara was instrumental in making things happen, and I can’t wait to work with her again next year.
I also want to thank the many people in our community who not only helped promote the NorBays but who dedicate themselves to making the North Bay a musical haven. The North Bay Hootenanny’s founding father Josh Windmiller ended up taking the award for Best Promoter, though folks like the North Bay Cabaret’s Jake Ward, Gather Booking & Management’s Ernest Wuethrich and groups like Notable Talent and Second Octave have propelled local music and musicians to new heights over the last few years.
I also want to thank you, the readers, who participated in voting online for bands, promoters and DJs. We had a huge turnout of voters for our survey this year and it’s a testament to how passionate the North Bay is about its music. Here’s to another year of packed concerts, local festivals and an ever-expanding variety of great music in our little corner of the world.
Charlie Swanson is the arts editor for the ‘Bohemian.’
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