This year marks the 25-year anniversary of SOhO Restaurant and Music Club in Victoria Court, and it’s a significant milestone for the show space. Maintaining a business can be a struggle for many on and off State Street, but the beat has been going strong for the venerable venue ever since 1994, when Gail and Bob Hansen opened SOhO.
The couple had been living locally with Bob working in Orange County when the space hit the market. Bob was transitioning away from a restaurant chain job, and the two saw the potential for a new life in the space that previously housed Bluebird Café. “We said, ‘Whoa, music!’ The music idea really sparked my curiosity. I’ve been a music lover my whole life, and my whole family’s really into music,” said Gail. The two had initially thought of doing only a restaurant. “We had no idea of doing a music venue at all. We had no idea what we were in for.”
A quarter of a century later, the brick-and-curtained club has a shining reputation. “SOhO is the heart of the live music community in Santa Barbara,” said We the Beat founder Kirk Reed, who books many live shows there. The venue “has stood as the place to go see good music with a great atmosphere,” said Eric Iverson of longtime SOhO performer Soul Majestic. “They consistently bring in some of the best touring acts in the world, as well as support the local music scene.”