From Southern California punk to global folk traditions
Tobin has spent his life obsessed with music, and his interests are uncommonly varied. His quest for new and interesting sounds has led him to discover traditional, underground and innovative music across the globe. His roots, however, stretch back to the Southern California punk scene of the 1980s.
“The first show that I ever put on … was in 1985. That was a punk and hardcore show. And that was a fundraiser for indigenous Native American political prisoners like Leonard Peltier,” Tobin said. “And of course, like a punk show, there were 90 bands that played at this all-day thing.”
Tobin still listens to punk rock, naming the Minutemen as a personal favorite, but he said he doesn’t let his tastes get bogged down by genres, and he doesn’t see significant boundaries between musical styles.
“[John] Coltrane was talking about how ragas and Hindustani music in particular were a big influence on his more out-there free stuff,” Tobin said. “I started to investigate things like that, and it just all became intertwined for me. It always seemed natural to try to get people to listen to all these different things with me.”
Tobin’s first show under the Fire Museum Presents banner was Jan. 20, 2001, when he was living in the Bay Area. The concert was a fundraiser for local organizations protesting the inauguration of George W. Bush. Upon moving to Philadelphia in 2007, Tobin initially started a relationship with Highwire Gallery in Fishtown and began presenting shows there. When the gallery shut its doors, Fire Museum began its nomadic journey, finding unconventional venues around the entire city.
A community built by showing up
Philadelphia musician Jack Braunstein has been coming to Fire Museum shows since he was a teenager. Tobin’s embrace of venues that aren’t bars means that the shows are open to all ages, which Braunstein credits with playing a major role in exposing him to so much great music.
“When you’re underage, it can really show you new worlds,” he said.
Braunstein has now performed in Fire Museum shows several times, including a special record-release concert for his project Shande.
“[Tobin] brings people here from all over the world, but he also really supports the community,” Braunstein said.
Fire Museum allows local musicians to “have a space to really present their work in a way which honors the art, which is really special.”
Fellow frequent audience member and occasional Fire Museum volunteer Kimya Imani Jackson echoed that sentiment. Jackson praised the organization’s commitment to bridging different worlds, highlighting past concerts that paired experimental music with avant-garde dance and movement.
When the world seems bleak, she sees the Fire Museum’s strong communal spirit as a glimmer of hope. “Hearing these pairings and what the artists come up with gives me hope in terms of what creativity exists,” Jackson said.