For more than four decades, SOB’s had stood as a cornerstone of New York City’s live music scene, blending sounds from across the Afro-Latin diaspora with genres like Hip-Hop, R&B, and Jazz. Widely regarded as a go-to location for artists who are looking to break into the live music circuit in NYC, SOB’s has evolved from a passion project to a cultural institution over its 40 years history. Behind this iconic venue is Larry Gold, whose affinity for global music and passion for cultural exploration have molded one of the city’s most important music venues. Together with his wife, the pair have curated a space where everyone from Gil Scott-Heron to Drake to Marc Anthony have allured crowds with their musical prowess. We recently had the opportunity to sit down with Larry, where he talked us through his passion for music, culture, and live performance.

SOB’s has been a musical mecca for decades. What was your original vision for the venue when you first opened the doors in 1982?

The original vision was a Brazilian dance club. Looking back at it now, we're so far removed from that, but that was the original vision.

What is the story behind you naming your venue “Sounds of Brazil”?

Wanting to open up a Brazilian dance club, Sounds of Brazil was a perfect name. As we progressed, it became Sounds of Brazil and Beyond. Then, ultimately, as we continued to progress with different genres of music, we took it down to SOBs.

What was it in particular about music from the Afro-Latino diaspora that attracted you? 

What initially attracted me to Brazilian music was my love for Brazilian music. I soon realized that from a business perspective, I couldn’t survive on just Brazilian music. So, I ended up tracing Brazilian music back to its roots, which took me to Africa. The next series I did was Africa Meets Brazil. From there, this journey progressed, and I continued to trace music from Africa as it landed in South America, Central America, and North America. The nature of SOBs is afro-centric more than anything else. After years of visiting places like Cuba and Brazil, these amazing rhythms just inspired me. That’s what attracted me.

What was the moment when you realized SOB’s had become a cultural institution in New York City? 

I’ve only really acknowledged it in the last few years. We’ve received comparisons to the Apollo Theater, and my goal has only been to present great music to the New York area. We’ve alway gone down our own route at our own pace, and we’ve always looked for opportunities to progress. The best example came during COVID, when we were doing South Asian music. We do a variety of Latin music, and do a lot of varieties of African music. We’ve been after progression for 42 years, and are constantly trying to be at the forefront of the music hitting North America. We’ve been blessed to be on the front end of just a lot of great music.

SOB’s has hosted many of the most influential artists of all time, including Kendrick Lamar, Drake, Travis Scott, and Kanye West to name a few. With so many artists gracing your stage, which performance is most memorable to you?

Fela Kuti's last US play was at SOB's. If you don't know Fela Kuti, you gotta look them up.

Are there any artists who you had a gut feeling would eventually go on to become a worldwide success? 

I don’t think so. In the music business, it takes a lot more than talent to propel you to commercial levels. I actually take the opposite position, and think it’s sad to see that sometimes the best music we’ve had in our venue is the least attended. There are other factors that go into commercial success than just the music. But that’s always been the case. Great music doesn’t mean great business or financial success.

SOBs has an incredibly storied history. Of all the eras of live music that have been played at SOBs, which era would you say was your favorite? 

The first 10 years. We were doing it for love. We weren’t doing it for business. If my wife and I liked a group from Brazil, we’d try to get them to come. If we liked a group from Africa or anywhere else in the world, we wanted them on our stage. As an independent venue, we always try to do things for love, but we have to take business success seriously too.

Though regarded as a Hip-Hop venue by many, SOBs has been a primary destination for concert-goers to experience music from all over the globe. What were some of the biggest non-Hip-Hop moments in the venue’s history? 

Before answering that, I think it’s important to say that we’ve been doing Hip-Hop for so long. We were doing it when no other venus in New York were touching it, as it’s always been part of our policy to give a platform to all types of music. Because of that philosophy, we were able to have so many incredible Hip-Hop artists perform in the 90s and 2000s. But depending on your age, you could view SOBs as a Hip-Hop venue, an R&B venue, or as a Latin Brazilian venue. Our reputation has changed depending on the times. 

But getting back to your question, I think the first time we brought Gil Scott-Heron to the Sounds of Brazil was outstanding for me. I had a close-knit relationship with Gil, and managed him for the last two years before he passed. He would come to my office often. Those are some of the different moments that make it all worthwhile.

Reflecting back on the venue's more than four decades of history, what’s one funny story that often comes to mind?

Gil would probably be the most memorable story. Gil was basically either on stage or getting ready to go on stage and the police came to take him away because he had an outstanding warrant. We told the police, “you can’t take him away. We have 300 people in the club, and they’re not gonna let that happen.” That one’s amusing to think back on. There are others, but they’re too private to put out there. Live music brings you many nights where you just won’t know what will happen.

As someone who has been in the live music business for decades, how has SOB’s managed to withstand the test of time and continue to own its position as a go-to venue for artists? 

We don’t chase stars – we chase galaxies. Everyone chases the star once they’re a star. We look for galaxies.

How has the age of technology, streaming, and social media impacted the live music scene, specifically at SOB’s? 

I personally hire a lot of young people. Back in my day, marketing was placing posters on polls and handing out flyers across New York. We also made sure we were in the New York Times editorial as much as we could. Today, none of that is relevant. We strongly believe in social media now. Another thing that’s changed is as a venue, we can only amplify what artists are already doing. Today’s artists have the power to market themselves in ways they previously did not, and as a venue all we can do is amplify that. We don’t have the power to do much more than that.

What has been the most fulfilling thing about your 40+ years with SOB’s? 

I still enjoy what I do. That’s not an answer to the question, but I still very much enjoy booking music. I enjoy working with my wife. She’s got the most amazing ears – way better than mine. She’s the person who will come and tell me to book a certain artist. Over the years, I’ve just learned to be a really good manager. We break our business model down to booking, marketing, and production. I try to put all of those together at the highest level. Sometimes we succeed, and sometimes we don’t. But it’s still fun. That’s what is most fulfilling.

What’s one album that you’d take with you wherever you go? 

That's such a hard one. Hard to pin down. I don't think I could because there were albums at different periods of my life. I couldn’t pick one, as it would negate like 60 years of my life. So, I’m going to pass on that question.

What does the phrase “big ass kid” mean to you? 

It means some type of cartoon character.