Get to know the musicians performing Next Door at C&I with our exclusive Insider Interviews
[Estimated Read Time: 3 Minutes]
If you kept up with our blog last week on Fort Lauderdale coffee culture, then you know we often remember our regulars by their faces and their go-to brew. Learning all of your names is a work in progress, but we’ll get there. Slowly, but surely. 🙂
After recognizing a few regulars scheduled to perform their original music live Next Door at C&I, we thought we’d take a moment to get to know them a little better…beyond their favorite coffee, that is.
Meet, Zubair.
Zubair is performing at Next Door on March 23. His music is a unique melding of indie-pop, R&B, and soul.
This is what he had to say…
BREW: What is your favorite coffee?
Zubair: “Wells Coffee prepared for me by A.J. Leigh. Easy.”
BREW: What’s your favorite local spot to hang out?
Zubair: “Well, I’m down in Miami, so down there I prefer to just hang out at Panther Coffee, or Las Rosas during the evening. Up here in Fort Lauderdale, if not at Brew, then probably Riverside Market.”
BREW: What made you want to perform Next Door at C&I?
Zubair: “Having been around Brew for so long I got a pretty good feel for the space and it’s amazing. Also, Dan Franklin.”
BREW: What inspires your music?
Zubair: “Mostly my feelings I suppose. Not like, how I’m feeling, but what I feel like saying. If that makes sense.”
BREW: What’s the best thing about performing live?
Zubair: “The best thing? Probably just the energy. Being able to bring whatever energy you feel you want to add to the art, (ideally) getting energy back from a crowd. Just the human element of it, it’s a big added dimension. Energy.”
BREW: What do you love most about Fort Lauderdale?
Zubair: “My favorite thing about Ft. Lauderdale in truth is Brew, it’s just my home base here.”
BREW: Who is your favorite artist?
Zubair: “Frank Ocean fa sho.”
BREW: If you could perform in a different language, which language would that be?
Zubair: “Hindi for sure. I don’t speak it really, but my family is from India so I hear a ton of Bollywood music and just music from India in general and it’s very beautiful. Unfortunately, I’m no good at it.”
BREW: What is the largest audience you’ve played for?
Zubair: Largest I played for was in college for probably 200? Something like that. It definitely didn’t happen that often though lol.”
BREW: Which movie did you enjoy more and why: Bohemian Rhapsody or A Star Is Born?
Zubair: “Haven’t seen either of them. Unfortunately not a huge movie watcher. But, if I had to watch one it would probably be A Star Is Born.”
BREW: What do you hope to accomplish through your music?
Zubair: I don’t know that I think about it so intentionally. I don’t do it with a grand goal in mind. On a project by project basis, I suppose ideally I want to tell a story or convey a feeling. More than anything I want to make something people get something out of. Enough that they’d listen again. When I hear something I really like, it just feels right- and I play it back right away. That’s what I want- someone to listen and enjoy it enough to play it right back, regardless of why.”
BREW: If you could play a private show for anyone in history, who would that be?
Zubair: “Wow that is a wild question. I’m not sure, I don’t have a very particular image in my mind for an audience, or even a show. I think doing an NPR Tiny Desk and having my best friends be there to support me would be pretty special. That’s a really neat venue/show, & it’s nice to have people around you that want you to do well (and that will clap regardless).”
If you’re in the mood for some live music this weekend, check out No.17 this Saturday at Next Door. This up and coming rap artist from Jacksonville is sure to put on a top-notch performance.