Studio SP Closed on July 2012
Paulistanos nostalgic for those hot nights in Studio SP in Vila Madalena back in 2005, when the music venue was first making its mark on the São Paulo scene, can now go back to those early days. Three years since it upgraded to a larger location on Rua Augusta, Studio SP has now returned to its roots, back in the original Vila Madalena location, with a facelift and a whole new raison-d’être.
When Studio SP opened, it didn’t take long for it to earn a reputation as the place in São Paulo to hear emerging bands playing live. A host of Brazilian bands have made their debut on the stage of the intimate Vila Madalena venue. The funky paulistano post-punk quintet Cansei de Ser Sexy (CSS) played here before they hit the big time abroad, and other Brazilian bands have also graced the stage in the early days of their careers, including Instituto, with their percussive samba and rap sounds, and Mombojó, with their blend of rock and manguebeat.
In 2008, looking for a bigger space, partners Ale Youssef, Maurizio Longobardi and Guga Stroeter brought Studio SP to a warehouse on lower Rua Augusta. The new spot served as a launchpad for Brazilian acts like Mallu Magalhães, Macaco Bong and Céu, as well as having the space to host foreign acts like the Scottish indie pop band Camera Obscura and Swedish indie rock band Peter Bjorn and John.
After three years on Rua Augusta, the three partners have opened two new venues in the space of two months. Teaming up with the cariocas Plínio Profeta and Luis Antonio Cunha, Studio RJ launched in Arpoador, Rio de Janeiro, with an opening night, on 27 September 2011, that brought big names like Caetano Veloso and Seu Jorge to the stage.
With Studio SP open in Vila Madalena as of the end of November 2011, the trio of venues is well set to offer a wide musical as well as cultural schedule. ‘Studio SP in the Vila will complement the activities of the group, which has always had broader cultural goals, involving other arts and encouraging reflection,’ says Ale Youssef. And the December lineup for the newest venue is indeed eclectic, featuring plays and debates as well as the live music mainstay.
Posters by street artists decorate the new interior, which is split into a main space and a private party room. In the main room, two retractable benches provide seating for an audience of 80, while for parties and gigs there’s space for 350.
A series of theatrical performances will kick off the cultural agenda in the regular Tuesday night ‘Cedo e Sentado’ (‘Early and Seated’) slot, with free plays that promote emerging theatre groups. Thursday nights throughout December are also dedicated to plays, with Pornô – Falcatrua Nº 18.633, the stage adaptation of Irvine Welsh’s book Porno.
For those who get more of a kick from the dancefloor, there’s no lack of choice, with vinyl parties like Veneno on Saturday nights playing groove, funk and hip hop, and the fortnightly Tuesday night party Sambarbudo Project with DJs Marcos Lauro and Pedro Henrique Araújo playing Brazilian as well as international tunes.
THE DECEMBER LINEUP
Tuesdays
Cedo e Sentado – Espetáculo Sem Patrocínio This hour-long play, directed by Leo Lama and Andreah Dorim, is a comic dialogue about corruption and ethics. Recommended for Portuguese speakers with an interest in Brazilian politics. 9pm.
Festa Criolina (fortnightly) Dive head first into samba, samba-rock, soul, hip-hop and funk at this fortnightly party. Guest DJs include Pezão and Barata. 11pm. 13 Dec. R$20 (R$10 guest list).
Sambarbudo Project (fortnightly) Journalists Marcos Lauro and Pedro Henrique Araújo take to the DJ decks at this fortnightly festa to play back-to-back Brazilian and international sounds. 11pm. 6, 20 Dec. R$20 (R$10 guest list).
Wednesdays
A Filosofia do Rock Paulistana writer and philosopher Márcia Tiburi lends a more cerebral tone to the line-up with an evening waxing lyrical on the relationship between rock and philosophy. Times and prices to be confirmed.
Thursdays
Pornô – Falcatrua Nº 18.633 Based on Porno, Irvine Welsh’s sequel to Trainspotting, this stage adaptation follows the same characters ten years on. Non-Portuguese speakers who’ve read the book can still enjoy the soundtrack and the setting, if not the dialogue.9pm. R$50 (R$35 guest list).
Read the preview of Pornô – Falcatrua Nº 18.633
Festa Good Taste The DJ and party promoter Celso Tavares has created a night especially for Studio SP with rock as the soundtrack, from classics through to current hits. All in the best possible taste, we hope. 11pm. R$25 (R$15 guest list).
Fridays
Festa Som e Fúria Theatre directors Felipe Hirsh and Guilherme Weber, who founded the Sutil Companhia de Teatro in Curitiba, are directing the action at this party, with music based on soundtracks from theatre productions. 11pm. R$25 (R$15 guest list).
Saturdays
Festa Veneno This itinerant party takes over Studio SP with DJs Ronaldo Evangelista, Peba Tropikal, Mauricio Fleury and Psycho Padovano spinning vinyl, with groove, funk and hip-hop sounds. 11pm R$25 (R$15 guest list).
See the complete schedule on Studio SP’s website.
Studio SP Vila Madalena is on Rua Inácio Pereira da Rocha 170, Vila Madalena (3032 4379, studiosp.org/vila_madalena). Open 8pm-late Tue-Thu; 11pm-late Fri, Sat. Prices R$10-$50.
