Have you ever thought about hosting a house concert? Let’s talk about it. If you have hosted house concerts before, you know it is a lot of work, and it is a lot of joy, and it is about the best thing you can do for an artist that inspires you.
Here's what you do:
- reach out to artist, discuss your idea for a house concert, conspire to have fun
- find a date
- invite your friends
- ask your friends help to set up the evening
- enjoy the magic
- feel inspired, feel satisfied
I’ve done about a dozen house concerts a year for the last 10 years. Some hosts do this as a 1 off for their friends, some have developed a series as a kind of “music curator” for their friends/community. I’ve played in kitchens, apartments, barns, backyards, living rooms, on decks, on beaches, at venues, in tents, and once actually on a hay wagon. I’ve seen some hosts spend hundreds if not thousands for an elaborate set up in their home or yard, and I’ve seen it as a BYOB pot luck dinner, where all their friends chip in to help to set up and break it all down. As an artist, it does not matter. What is key is you are inspired by an artist, so much so as to share their music with your community.
Why would you do a house concert? It’s a way to support the artist. It’s you being a patron…you will not make any money, and its definitely work to prepare your home/yard for this kind of experience, but when the evening is over, you will see that your created something magical
How do you make this happen? The basic precepts are as follows:
- You would set up a date with the artist 3-6 months in advance. It’s great if it can work in with the artists tour schedule.
- You will send out an RSVP invite to your community introducing the artist, typically by including a bio and a vid.
- These shows are typically seated concert style, where folks are seated for 2 sets with a break in between.
- Folks typically come to listen, yet some folks can’t help but be social, so its always good to make a distinction between a house concert and a party. I can do either. A party is a party, folks like to dance and carry on. In these situations, I am typically accompaniment to the party.
- For a house concert, all the guests typically make a $20 suggested donation that typically goes to the artist. Usually you would not publicly advertise a ticket price because you are most likely not a licensed venue, thus we say “suggested donation”. For a party, typically there is a guarantee charged by the artist.
- No matter what you decide, the artist would consult with you in advance as to what type of vibe you want in your home and then staff accordingly.
- With smaller indoor settings, shows are typically acoustic using no amplification. But once you get over 25 people or if its an outdoors, some amplification is typically involved. Most artists will provide proper amplification to meet the event