Business Profile: South Sub Music

Steve Ploum rocks: literally. A long-time Homewood resident, Ploum is dedicated to fostering a local music scene in the south suburbs of Chicago. Ploum is the co-creator of South Sub Music local exposure to local artists through multiple links to venues, music stores, recording studios and any and all fans of local music. The H-F Patch blogger recently took a break from writing to answer a few questions about his site.

What made you want to start South Sub Music and how long have you been in business?

After teaming with the to put on what would become a very successful Musicfest 2010, I started to gather musician buddies to play the fest. I previously knew many from sharing gigs with them while playing with my band, SLuMP.

The concept (of South Sub Music) developed because there was a large group of musicians in the area that did not have a sense of community or a place to hang out. Back in my young adulthood, there was always a bar or club where the musicians hung out and we don't seem to have that in the South Suburbs. Where do musicians and live music fans hang out now? The internet.

I wanted a site where locals could find out who's playing nearby and where musicians could benefit from being in a music community...In January of 2011, the site was officially launched as a wing of Jay’s company Studio 604. His wife, Amy, assisted with interviews and other content on the site.

Who are some of your musical influences?

There are too many to list, but I tend to favor rock, alternative, pop and alternative country music...I am really stoked about hearing just about anything live... I love to see people play live. It takes so much to put yourself out there like that and it’s so cool to see everything that goes into a performance.

I'm really impressed by the young artists we have. Folks like Anthony Swiatnicki and his band The Lemming or Jay "Jhuze" Hughes. These are sophomores in high school (who) are writing songs, really working it, racking up stage hours and truly becoming good musicians and entertainers.  That's really fun to see and I love being part of a scene that is supportive of developing young musicians.

South Sub Music has many different types of artists, something you normally don’t see in this industry. What was the driving force behind that?

Most of all, I want to create a bustling live music scene and night life here in Homewood and I think, in order for it to be viable and interesting, we have to have something for everybody. Also, I think our community of musicians needs that diversity. It is through interacting and connecting that we grow, and that’s how really cool stuff is born. 

One example was a SSM gig at . Anthony Swiatnicki, who typically plays loud alternative rock, was at the show and chatting backstage with Christal Luster. She is a beautifully voiced and soulful folk singer. Later in the night, Anthony accompanied her on acoustic guitar during her set. It was a neat sight.

How does one become a member of South Sub Music?

Easy — you can go to the SSM website and click on contact us. Venues, or other places (businesses, municipalities, organizations, fundraising folks, etc.) that would like to grow their live music scene can also go there.

What are some of your upcoming events that locals have to check out?

We have lots of exciting stuff coming up. Here are a few highlights:

• Every week through Oct. 22, we have musicians between the hours of 10 a.m. and noon at .
• We are planning a singer and songwriter event that will take place at on Oct. 1. We will feature several acoustic artists and get a high quality digital recording through our P.A. Soon, there will be a “Best of South Sub Music” CD for sale on the website and in local businesses.
• . AAA rentals, Melody Mart and Plank Road Cyclery are all sponsoring the event this year and SSM is responsible for booking, coordinating and facilitating the day's entertainment. This year, we have 19 artists playing between the hours of 11 a.m. and 9 p.m. on Saturday, Aug, 27 at the (The is the rain site).

What are your favorite local venues?

Two venues stand out:

• , because Kim, the owner, was and still is so behind the idea of bringing live music to town. She knows how it has helped grow her business and is always looking for ways to help the music scene in Homewood. 
• , because it gives the youth a place to play. In their new space, they can only do acoustic stuff. However, it provides those under 21 the ability to hear peer music and develop their own musical chops.

PLEASE VISIT Steve Ploum's H-F Patch music blog for more information on South Sub Music, the local music scene and information about local artist events.