Case Study: The Frontier Room
The Frontier Room is a small curator of the arts, music events, and other hosting productions. They’ve worked with many well-established artists and musicians to host art shows and music events. Their events are always small and intimate, offering an exclusive and authentic experience for those who attend.
History
Established in 2013, The Frontier Room started from humble beginnings, ultimately taking root in a garage located within a small neighborhood in Santa Rosa’s Luther Burbank district.
In 2014, The Frontier Room moved into a commercial space in Santa Rosa’s art district, also known as the SOFA (South Of A Street Art District), where they had a full-time art gallery, beer/wine bar, and hosted many music events. Actually, I was the bar tender for this chapter of The Frontier Room, where I crafted small drink menus and acted as a gallerist.
Today, The Frontier Room has planted its roots in the Pacific Northwest, where it hosts exclusive events, serving the greater Bremerton, WA area.
My Role
Aside from being a bartender/gallerist at The Frontier Room, I have also been their main staff copywriter. To get the website off the ground, I helped with the webpage copy, most notably the We Love to Host, Art Moves Us, and Music Moves Us pages. In the early days, I also helped with social media management, writing copy, writing tributes to renowned writers, or creating silly flyers for weekly events.
However, my most prominent work with this client is the several journalistic pieces on artists, musicians, and other creatives that I have written. I did SEO for all of the articles too, establishing high rankings on search engines. The following explores my work in more detail, laid out in a timeline from my first write-up in 2014 to my last piece in 2019.
Robin Williams Tribute Article
August 11, 2014
This project was truly a special one. Like most people from my era (and before), I grew up with Robin Williams being a huge part of my life. To write this piece hit home for me emotionally. Sure, I did not know Williams personally, but his many iconic roles became so ingrained in me that when he died, it was a devastating day.
Article About Emerging L.A. Artist, Brandon Hurley
June 15, 2015
Bay-bred artist Brandon Hurley is a long-time friend of mine. In fact, he is the oldest friend I have (we’ve known each other since we were 5 years old). So, I was super excited when The Frontier Room asked me if I would visit the artist in Hollywood to chat with him about his current series: Endangered Species.
This article explores a few days I spent with Brandon, as well as elaborating on his current series. It’s been such an awesome experience to watch him grow as an artist. From random shows in basements of sporting goods stores in SF to big shows in LA, it has been so amazing watching Brandon grow as an artist. To write, Bear in Hollywoods (Bear in Woods is my nickname, I call him for context), was truly a treat!
Michael Nau’s First Solo Debut
April 21, 2016
In 2016, Michael Nau, formerly the lead singer of Cotton Jones, released his first solo album, Mowing. Nau has been one of my all-time favorites, so exploring his work on this was really an awesome experience!
Tribute Piece to Gil Scott Heron
May 27, 2016
Gil Scott-Heron is one of my all-time favorite musicians. I think that Winter in America is one of the most powerful and important songs ever written, and I would be a liar if I told you that I have not played Pieces of a Man on repeat for weeks on end.
During my time working at The Frontier Room in the SOFA district, Gil Scott-Heron was a staple soundtrack we played, usually when the sun went down. This short tribute piece, Gil Scott Heron: A True American, was written on the 5-year anniversary of this great man’s death, and it exemplifies the impact his music had on us and the world.
Artist Spotlight: Jack Graydon
June 20, 2017
The Day I Met Jack Graydon is a reflective article about Santa Rosa-born, Portland-based artist, Jack Graydon. The unique art of Jack Graydon has shown itself in international galleries, on skateboards, and on walls.
This article was written to check in with the artist and promote his new website, powered by Toebock Creative. Connecting with my old friend Jack was much welcomed. Enjoy the article… and the art. Jack is the man!!!
Letters from Lemolo Shore
August 20, 2017
Lemolo is a dream-pop band based in the greater Seattle area. The purpose of this article was to promote a show hosted by The Frontier Room at Sonoma Cider in Healdsburg, CA.
This article enlightens the career of this Northwest group, while simultaneously sharing the feelings that are stirred awake when we engage in this beautiful music. Their music has had an extraordinary impact on me as an artist and as a human being. Currently, Lemolo is still on their New Songs & Spaces Tour, so if they come through your town, I highly recommend that you check them out. Witnessing this act is truly an experience of a lifetime.
Charles Bradley Tribute Article
October 3, 2017
Charles Bradley, commonly referred to as the “Screaming Eagle of Soul,” inspired many throughout his life. With powerful music, a unique personality, and honest, raw performances, this man has, without a doubt, heavily impacted soul music.
The Frontier Room wanted to pay tribute to this great man when he sadly passed away this last September. I wrote this tribute article to celebrate Mr. Bradley, a man who personally impacted my life with his beautiful music. I was blessed enough to see him perform once in Santa Cruz, CA, and I say with all honesty that I have never been to a show that brought tears to my eyes. It changed my life forever moving forward.
Brandon Hurley Arts Website Launch
October 25, 2018
ART INSPIRES US. That’s what we say at The Frontier Room. And one of our favorites to touch brush to the fine arts game is Brandon Hurley.
Brandon Hurley: Beneath Every Stroke explores the work and life of the Hollywood-based artist. The article’s purpose was also written to drive traffic to the artist’s new website, which is another Case Study of mine. As always, checking in with my good friend was a blast as usual!
Michael Nau LIVE in Penngro
May 2, 2019
In April 2016, Michael Nau connected with The Frontier Room for one last Santa Rosa music event. My wife and I picked him up in Oakland, CA, and made the 2-hour journey north to Penngrove, CA, where Nau performed an intimate set at a small venue, Twin Oaks Roadhouse. Three years later, The Frontier Room asked me to revisit the experience, which led to the publication of Taken Back: Michael Nau LIVE at Twin Oaks Roadhouse.
Spending the day with Nau was a special experience. Before the show, we wandered around the quaint town of Penngrove, hit a local restaurant, and soaked up the sunshine at a local park. The show was unbelievable and is an experience I will hold close to my heart until my last day. Nau’s performance marked the final chapter of The Frontier Room in Santa Rosa, CA. And I can’t think of a better conclusion.
Conclusion
My time with The Frontier Room in California was such an incredible experience. This period brought much growth in both my personal and professional development. Aside from learning journalistic techniques and sharpening my Social Media Management and SEO skills, I learned a lot about hosting events, bar management, customer service, and selling art. I will always hold this chapter in my life close to my heart.