What exactly is a House Concert?
A house concert is exactly what it sounds like: a get-together of friends in your living room, live music, and often food, drinks, and conversation.
I don't have a big house. Can I still host a concert?
Yes! The cozier the better. You don't need a gigantic house for this to work.
How many people are you expecting? I don't think I can get 50 people to come to my house.
The beauty of a house concert is that it is purposely more intimate and focuses on quality over quantity.
Traditional venues rely solely on numbers, making public shows more about quantity than quality.
Does it cost money to host a house concert?
No, there is no cost to host a concert, but traveling artists appreciate it when hosts ask their guests to give a suggested donation. Many house concert hosts have a basket by the door. They often interrupt the performance in the middle, give a 2 minute spiel asking people to support the artist, and then proceed to "pass the hat" during the performance as it continues. Donations really go a long way in helping the artist pay for gas and cover expenses while on the road. It's also just a much appreciated way of helping an artist keep their music career sustainable. A house concert usually averages $10 per person but no one should be turned away if they are not able to give.
How do I plan this thing?
The beauty in house concerts is that they are low stress. Once a date is agreed upon, a start time can be set. Then you can setup a Facebook invite and/or shoot out emails to your network of friends to let them know about it. Encourage them to bring a dish and it becomes a potluck! Whatever happens, don't stress! Its just like hanging out with your friends!
But I really don't want strangers in my house.
This is usually a homeowners primary concern. They're interested in hosting something but don't want it to be listed as a public event. No problem. Simply keep the Facebook invite private. Usually the artist will post a generic "Private House Concert" listing on their calendar page. In the end, it’s your house.
What exactly is the order of events for the evening?
The order is pretty laid back. It's usually great to give folks 1 hour to arrive, get comfortable, and chat it up before getting into music. Music can go for as little as 1 hour or as long as 2. Sometimes, depending on how long the music is planned to go, there is a break in the middle to allow people to stretch their legs, get more food, etc.
Ok, this officially sounds like fun! What's next?
Great! Send an email to dougalanwilcox@icloud.com to start the conversation!
(The format for this page was inspired by singer/songwriter Joy Ike - www.joyike.com)
