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On a summer weeknight, musicians arrive at a sleek industrial space in downtown Redwood City. A few head straight into soundproofed music studios, but most stop first in the common area to grab a snack or drink from the kitchen and chat.
There are couches to sit and talk or relax in this central space, which also has a big-screen TV and a chandelier made from a drum kit. Concert and event posters cover one wall in the common area, sharing the space’s history and adding color and nostalgia for the musicians who gather here — and perhaps for some, a little inspiration, too.
Sound Union opened in 2024, offering studios and instruments, a performance area and a co-working space on a membership basis.
“The idea of having a really nice place to go play music and and meet other musicians is the main vision, and to provide a space where people feel like they can do the best music of of their lives,” said Sound Union CEO John Avilla, who co-founded the space with business partner Tom Zazueta.
The equipment is professional-level. J-Hope of BTS spent time in Sound Union’s studios when the K-pop superstars performed at Stanford University earlier this year. But many members work in careers unrelated to music. Some have joined to reconnect with a past love of music, to improve musical skills or to have a space to rehearse for shows, either solo or with a band. Sometimes it’s all of the above.
Avilla likens the business model to a gym membership, in which members pay a monthly fee to use the facilities. Like a gym, the fee isn’t cheap, coming in between $375 and $430 per month. But unlike most gyms, there’s a community environment that Sound Union management has tried to nurture.
Offering the chance to meet up with other musicians, to perform with them and to make connections is the goal of the space, Avilla said.
“It’s a place where people get to come together to have context that’s their own individual identity, I guess is a good way to put it. You go to work and you’re representing that company. You in your family are mom, dad, kid, whatever. There’s always kind of an identity that’s imposed by a position,” said Sound Union member Rebecca Lipon Weekly.
“At Sound Union, I remember the first time I came by, and it was just people getting to know each other and hanging out and doing something that is fun.”
Weekly, a tech executive, is the lead singer for funk and soul band Sinister Dexter. She sometimes also performs with Sound Union’s house band, (called 2625, after the building’s street number).
“A lot of us are in bands, and in the Bay Area being in a band pays for the parking costs of where you perform, so most people who do it, do it as a labor of love because they enjoy the people, not because they’re making a lot of money at it, so I think it’s just really lovely to be a part of a community of people,” she said.
Rooms of one’s own
In addition to amps, microphones and mixers, Sound Union makes available to members a range of instruments, including guitars, drums and pianos. Rather than having to bring instruments to rehearsals, and spend time setting up and taking down equipment, members can drop by and play.
Sound Union offers spaces to rehearse and play music, to record music and podcasts, as well as a place for co-working that aims to draw both the musically inclined and people who just want a less traditional workspace.
Concrete floors, exposed brick walls and duct work give an industrial vibe, but without the battered couches, wobbly music stands or other time-worn fixtures one might also expect.
“Normally, a rehearsal space looks post-apocalyptic,” said musician David Hobbes, an early Sound Union member. “There’s graffiti on the walls. There’s heavy metal drumming coming through the walls. Literally, the people that work there sit behind a gate. It’s crazy. It’s almost comical how ridiculous that experience is versus Sound Union.”
A large loft overlooking the common area offers long conference tables for co-working. The loft doubles as a performance space, with a stage in the corner. This is where Sound Union hosts performances and special events, such as its live band karaoke and occasional appearances from musical artists or author signings.
“A lot of our folks have been pretty successful in business, and when you have very limited time to pursue a passion — I don’t care what it is: racing cars, playing golf, working on cars, pickleball, whatever — the time you do spend is pretty valuable,” Avilla said.
“If you have X amount of hours to spend each month, you want to do it in a place that’s nice. And when that happens, you meet others who have that same alignment. We have members of all skill types, and we try to create a very welcoming environment for all skill types.”
Members get access to an app that allows for scheduling, checking upcoming events and posting notices, such as those looking for bandmates.
“When I’ve needed a sub for a show, you can post on our virtual bulletin board and ask ‘Does anyone have the ability to cover?’ Different shows have come up, different nonprofit activities,” Weekly said.
Getting into jams
Though musicians can be outgoing folks, Avilla who is a musician himself, noted that it can still feel challenging to get out there and play or to meet peers.
Easing awkwardness or vulnerability was the motivation for starting Sound Union’s slate of themed weeknight jams, offering a low-pressure environment to play and get to know other members. Current jam nights include Soft Rock/Country/Americana, Advanced Jazz and a night of instrumental improvisation called Free Your Mind.
Sound Union founding member Andy Swanson leads a weekly jam called Three Chord Thursdays, which is open to all levels, and offers an introduction to those who are new to performing with others. It’s not tied to any particular genre and focuses on simple chords, hence the name.
“It’s meant to be an entry-level slot for new members. It’s like a pickup game of basketball just to see who you’re playing with,” Swanson said.
“The way we view those sessions is you’re kind of acting like a Peloton instructor. You’re an organizer, a cheerleader, making sure that people are getting focused — what songs we’re picking, making the session move along. In that case, there’s not a particular schedule of songs. It’s a little bit like jukebox (style), like, ‘Hey, what do we want to play today?’ Bring some songs, and let’s work on them. Let’s have some fun.”
Swanson, who lives in Redwood City, has played music most of his life. He refers to his training as a “campfire guitarist,” and in addition to guitar, he’s also a vocalist and plays harmonica.
He joined before Sound Union had its building and ended up becoming an early investor. He describes himself as the “test-kitchen guy,” having helped develop the jam nights format and other programs in the space.
How each Three Chord Thursday jam plays out depends on who’s in attendance, Swanson said. An older crowd might skew song selections toward 1970s and ’80s tunes, while slightly younger musicians might go for music from the ’90s and 2000s. He has noticed how connections can form during jams as people strike up conversations during breaks.
“You walk by those open practice rooms and you hear a song, and it just feels so welcome, and you go in and you can sit on the couch and listen,” said vocalist Liz Handley. “And then you walk out and there’s this flow to this space that you really can’t put your finger on, but you feel it. There’s no ego in the room, there’s no gloss, there’s nothing, but just this beautiful space where all these organic experiences for me have taken place.”
Handley, the lead vocalist for Peninsula-based ’90s rock tribute band Heady Vedders, discovered Sound Union through the band. Handley sometimes also sings with house band 2625.
As the child of two classical pianists, Handley grew up with music and played violin. But for years, she was shy about singing in public until the COVID-19 pandemic gave her the push she needed. She said Sound Union has given her access to more musical opportunities.
“I go in and I’m practicing with the Heady Vedders, and let’s say I get a drink from the fridge, and then someone comes up, we introduce each other in the kitchen,” Handley said, describing how a fellow musician might approach her as a singer to fill in with their band.
“There are these just really natural, organic conversations that happen, and then I am welcome to say yes or no to that and there wasn’t pressure or anything.”
Forging connections
Whether it’s a casual conversation or meeting up during a jam, sometimes musicians just hit it off and end up planning other times to play together.
“Last time I counted, and I think there’s probably a couple more since then, but there’s about 13 bands or groups that have formed. Not everybody needs to or wants to perform, but I think that’s a really amazing indicator of a healthy and growing and active community. That wasn’t in the business plan. I didn’t chart it out,” Avilla said.
David Hobbes found several bandmates through connections made at Sound Union.
“I was just about to release an album. … I knew I had to do some album release shows, and I was like, ‘Where am I going to find a band?’ I’m a transplant to this area. I don’t have a great network of people here, and so I went to check it out,” Hobbes said.
Avilla introduced the singer-songwriter to his bass player, Chris Sommers, who although not a Sound Union member, has helped to prototype the space’s events. Hobbes said he also met his guitarist, Jonathan Hoffman, and drummer, Roman Sochan, through various events at the space.
Sound Union was still in its early days and hadn’t been fully developed yet, but people were already performing together there.
Hobbes is releasing a new EP, “Tomorrow Man,” this month.
A place to play
Hobbes said he visits Sound Union a lot, mostly to rehearse with his band, but does try to socialize with other members, too.
“I still go down to try and sit in and play with other people now and then. Sometimes I use the co-working space upstairs. So if I’m downtown for something, I’ll stop by and use that,” he said.
Rehearsal spaces are a big draw for Handley, who goes to Sound Union mostly to practice with the Heady Vedders.
“A couple times, I picked the violin back up for a couple of songs with the Heady Vedders, and so I’ll sometimes jump in in the middle of the day, like during the school year, if my kids were at school, jump in one of the practice rooms during the day and just work out some violin parts,” she said, noting that she also uses the co-working space sometimes.
“Honestly, I’ve just gone to Sound Union to relax and hang, go through and delete the 1,000 emails that from Bed Bath and Beyond, or whatever, that accumulated in my inbox and just get a little reset moment. So it’s been that type of space for me, too.”
For Weekly, visits to Sound Union depend on whether she’s working on something, which might find her there a couple times a week. Otherwise, she drops in when she can, once or twice a month.
“It’s very active at night when the studios are full of various bands practicing, performing, maybe up on the stage. But during the day, it’s very quiet, very chill, and so you know that there is this space, that there is this community,” Weekly said.
“Most people have day jobs and use the space in the evenings for music, and it’s a lovely community of people, and worth checking out. You might find your next band. You might find a co-working space that’s a little bit different, that has a social element that’s quirky and fun.”
Sound Union is located at 2625 Broadway, Redwood City. Memberships are $430/month paid monthly or $375/month for an annual membership. The venue is currently offering $199 discounted first month memberships. Tours are available. For more information, visit soundunion.com.
The Heady Vedders are performing Sept. 7, 2-5 p.m., at the American Legion, Half Moon Bay and Sept. 19, 8-11 p.m., at Alhambra Irish House, Redwood City. headyvedders.com
David Hobbes Band is performing Sept. 10, 8-11 p.m., at the Pioneer Saloon, Woodside. davidhobbes.com.
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