Disclaimer: This post is in partnership with Hyatt Centric. As always, all opinions are my own.

Have you ever heard of Sofar Sounds? They’re a really cool company that’s been creating unique concert experiences for the last 10 years with secret shows in living rooms, businesses, and beyond. Generally, they showcase up-and-coming local artists, and it gives you the opportunity to see something new in a cozy space. Since I started as a music photographer back in college, I’ve known about Sofar Sounds, but had never been able to experience them – until now. Thanks to Hyatt Centric, I had the opportunity to visit three different cities to see three different Sofar Sounds shows, all located inside of Hyatt Centric properties. That’s because Hyatt Centric has a long-term partnership with Sofar Sounds to showcase local artists around the world inside their hotels, and they did 12 in 2019! In fact, if you’re in New Orleans on December 20th, there’s still one more show happening at Hyatt Centric French Quarter New Orleans, so make sure to go check it out!

This epic
Hyatt Centric x Sofar Sounds
journey took me around the world, to Ireland, Florida, and Hawaii, to see all different genres of music and experience very different types of cities. Each Hyatt Centric property is all about embracing the local, so they’re designed with their environment and their neighborhood in mind. And that’s exactly what the concerts were about! For example, at my first show in Dublin, the headliner was local legend Imelda May, who told us stories about growing up in The Liberties neighborhood (where the hotel is located) and the challenges Ireland faced during her childhood. It was truly a magical night, and a great way to start the trip for me. Without further ado, here’s a photo essay chronicling my journey through all three shows and Hyatt Centric hotels, going halfway across the world to follow the music!

Hyatt Centric The Liberties Dublin

The first stop on my whirlwind adventure was the Hyatt Centric The Liberties Dublin, where I finally experienced my first Sofar Sounds show, featuring local artists Soulé, TOUCAN, and Imelda May. I spent 48 hours exploring Dublin, from The Liberties neighborhood around the hotel to nearby Trinity College and Temple Bar and beyond.

Then, it was time for the concert. The show was set up in what was normally the restaurant just off of the lobby, with cushions and rugs thrown everywhere for all the guests’ comfort. We all hushed and settled down to watch the first act of the night, electronic pop artist Soulé.

Next up was TOUCAN, a ten-piece funk-pop ensemble that really rocked the house and brought all the good vibes. With just their 20 minute set, TOUCAN turned the room into a party, which is really saying something when everyone is sitting on the floor!

Last but not least, local legend Imelda May graced the stage, and the room was abuzz. Everyone here knew Imelda May, and it was quite a special experience for them to get to see her play in such an intimate setting. She told stories of her friendships with celebrities like Bono from U2 and Barack Obama, about the hard times growing up in The Liberties neighborhood while Ireland was in strife, and sang old Irish folk song Molly Malone to us. And, to the delight of her fans, she even took song requests from the audience to play!

Outside of the show, I was able to spend a bit of time exploring the neighborhood, hitting up spots like the whiskey distillery just up the street – Teeling Whiskey Distillery. Fun fact: Teeling is the only operational Irish Whiskey distillery in Dublin and the first new distillery to open in the city in 125 years! I also wandered around the vibrant Temple Bar neighborhood, just a short walk away from the hotel (or an even quicker taxi).

I finished off my explorations at Trinity College, where I visited the stunning The Long Room Of The Old Library and the Book of Kells, and took in all of the amazing architecture around campus. I only wish I had had more time to venture around Dublin, since 48 hours isn’t nearly long enough to see everything that this lively city has to offer!

Want to see a little more of what the experience was like? Check out the video clip below of Soulé performing at the Hyatt Centric x Sofar Sounds Dublin show.

Hyatt Centric South Beach Miami

I flew straight from Dublin for the next show in the series, this time at the Hyatt Centric South Beach Miami, as the shows were only a few days apart. Like in Dublin, I only had 48 hours to spend in Miami, so I decided to stick to the neighborhood and only explore South Beach for this trip. I had a bit of time to hit the beach, find the best local food spots (especially for Cuban food), and relax at the hotel’s pool.

For the concert, is definitely had a Miami-twist, as all of the artists sang at least some in Spanish, if not all of their music. The Hyatt Centric transformed their lobby for the show, turning what was normally the front desk into a stage for the artists. First up for the night was local Cubana songstress Gretell Barreiro. Gretell’s set was powerful and emotional as she sang in her native Spanish.

César Paniagua played a genre of what I’ve heard called “tropical rocanrol” – with influences including his home country of Costa Rica, his new home of Miami, and classic rock like The Beatles – a groovy, multicultural vibe that brought energy levels up in the audience.

And for the last act of the night, there was avant-dance duo Afrobeta. If Miami was a genre of music, it would be Afrobeta. Singing in both Spanish and English, they turned the room into a dance floor, getting everyone up off the floor to dance, sing, and clap along. Afrobeta brought the party, y’all!

Hyatt Centric Waikiki Beach

And finally, we come to my last stop on this musical adventure, a trip to Oahu to visit the Hyatt Centric Waikiki Beach in Honolulu. This time, I could stay a little longer, so I had plenty of time to find all of the best spots to eat nearby, relax on Waikiki Beach, and even spend a day driving around Oahu to see more of the island, like sea turtles on the North Shore.

One of my favorite things about Hawaii is definitely the food, and there were so many good dining options right by the Hyatt Centric. For one, there is a Japanese food hall called Yokocho that is literally a 2-minute walk down the street, and it has all of the best authentic Japanese food, straight from Japan. There are especially a lot of ramen options inside, though my favorite stall was the tempura restaurant! You also cannot visit Hawaii without trying real Hawaiian shaved ice, so we made sure to try as many ones as we could. One great option just down the street from the hotel is Island Vintage Shave Ice. Just don’t miss out on putting condensed milk on top and ice cream in the center, because that’s the best part!

The Sofar Sounds show might have been my favorite of the three, if only because of how much I liked the performers and their styles of music. The show featured three local artists – Olivia Thai, Tyke James, and Evan Khay. It’s interesting to note, Olivia Thai was on American Idol, and Tyke James was on The Voice, and it showed!

First up was Olivia Thai, who literally came straight from the airport to perform for us that night, in what was normally the restaurant, now transformed into the venue. She played a set of both pop songs and ballads, using looping techniques to layer her voice and instruments to create the whole song from scratch each time, by herself.

Number two up for the night was Tyke James, who wowed me with his amazing voice (is it any wonder he competed on The Voice?) that reminded me of artists like Hozier, Vance Joy, and George Ezra. Honestly, he was totally my jam, and he’s definitely an artist I was excited to have discovered on this Sofar Sounds journey! I’ll be keeping an eye on him for sure to see how his career grows.

And for my final act of the night and series, there was Evan Khay, a bit of a local wonderboy whose pop tunes reminded me of the old days of Maroon 5. He had just released a new song, Clarity, an hour before the show, so we were some of the first people to ever get to hear it live!

And that’s a wrap! I had so much fun getting to explore 3 very different cities with Hyatt Centric x Sofar Sounds, and listening to the local beats that embody each community and showcase what makes them unique.

Like it? Pin it!