Saturday, June 7 marked the debut of Homemade, a free music symposium aimed at helping local artists grow artistically and succeed commercially in do-it-yourself mode. Presented by Artists and Writers Group, Bay Area Artists and Musicians Organization (BAAMO), and Hillsborough Community College-Ybor City campus, it took place at the Performing Arts Building on the HCC grounds. The event drew a couple hundred local musicians and managers throughout the day and closed with free showcases at nearby New World Brewery and Tre Amici at the Bunker. On balance, it was a fun, productive affair with potential to turn into an important annual gathering of the Bay area music scene (and beyond). artistsandwritersgroup.com
This article appears in Sep 10-16, 2008.