> Can anyone tell me more about house concerts- what they are, etc.? Has anyone > ever hosted one? Played for one? I'm thinking of hosting one, (or a series of > them if it goes well) and don't really know what they are all about, or what > would be expected of me. Thanks! >
House concerts have become popular over the last several years and have established themselves as a viable venue for acoustic music, an nice alternative to the bar scene. They are particularly common in the northeast though you will find them in virtually every state these days, some have become very successful, and you will find many national acts like Darryl Purpose, David and Tracy Grammar, and lesser known acts as well playing house concerts. Here is the basic gist of a houseconcert. The host, or hostess, decides to have a house concert featuring a particular performer, or even a couple of different performers. She will then send out word to all her friends and associates that there will be a house concert on such and such a date with so and so. In some cases, this may be advertised in a local paper, on a website, sent out to a mailing list, etc... Though the proccess differs slightly from venue to venue, usually there is a requested donation, around $10, that is collected the night of the show. I think it is done this way to avoid any legal hassles with charging ticket prices for a public event(a venue in Georgia recently dealt with this very issue) and also, its much nicer and meangingful to think that you're making a donation which is really part of the whole point of the house concerts. Generally all the money donated goes directly to the artist(s) and the host does not profit from the performance. So there is no money paid in advance however, it is very common for reservations to be made as these are small, intimate venues and can tend to fill up rather quickly. Most houses will have a limited number of seats(they vary greatly in size, some house concerts have become quite large) anywhere from 30 to 40 or 50 people. I think the reservations are helpful as it allows you to know how many people to plan for and some very successful venues, they will fill up rather quickly. Generally, house concerts are done acoustically, with no equipment, as they are intended to be an intimate affair, and this makes them rather intimate and personal, something you will not find in a bar or large venue. The hostess will usually provide some form of refreshments and perhaps ask some friends to contribute some as well, brownies, chips, etc...There may be a couple of bottles of wine, though my impression is the house concerts are an alternative to the bar scene so alcholic consumption is rather minimal if any, and not the focus of the evening. There may be a donation basket set up to assist with food costs though that is the perogative of the hostess. People will usually be asked to show up at least a half hour beforehand, to allow everyone to be seated for the beginning of the show, allow some mingling and refreshments, etc...so when the show starts the focus will be on the artist. Generally there is no smoking allowed at these things, and the whole idea I think is to create a really nice atmosphere in which to have a performance. At one coffeehouse, that featured Kate Bennett, Jeff Bisch, and myself, we had a friend come and make eggplant pizza earlier that afternoon, so there was actually some dinner type food though that is probably more the exception rather than the rule. When it comes to having a house concert though, the possibilities are wide open and it is something that you create. There are no rules really and you are only limited by your imagination. It might be nice to have some candles set up to create a pleasant mood, etc... I know that there are some websites set up that deal specifically with house concerts and there is even a house concert database. I hope this gives you a good idea of what house concerts are and let me know if you have any further questions.
