Since its inception in 2013, We the Beat has transformed from a music blog with a pipe dream to what is arguably the most sharpshooting concert-promotion company in town. Founded by Kirk Reed, Blake Nania, and Jon Salontay, We the Beat (WTB) has been vital for the progression of the Santa Barbara music scene by bringing in artists like People Under the Stairs, Cherub, !!! (Chk Chk Chk), Flume, Goldroom, Neon Indian, Mr. Little Jeans, Bondax, and more. Through dance and hip-hop acts such as these, Reed and his rapidly burgeoning company have bucked the town’s early-to-bed habits with consistently high-BPM, hipper-than-now gigs week after week.
Reed started out as a busboy at SOhO Restaurant & Music Club and then became a server and then a bar-back. After graduating college, he asked if he could book the music at SOhO. “They asked me if I had ever booked a show, and I said, ‘Uh, no, but I think I can,’ and they politely declined,” he said. “So I called my buddy Blake, and I said, ‘I want to put on concerts,’ and he said, ‘I want to start a new music blog.’”
Party animals and music aficionados alike rejoice when they hear about an upcoming WTB concert, and this has been the company’s intention all along. Reed says that although WTB started out promoting mostly dance music, the brand has always strove to cater to every genre. “I want to do the shows that Santa Barbara really wants — which is what we’ve been doing — but I want to do it on a bigger and more frequent scale,” he said. “Now we have the experience, chutzpah, and reputation to go after bigger artists. We want to provide for all of Santa Barbara.”