WHAT IS A HOUSE SHOW?
A house show is a listening-room style concert in your home, living room, pool house, backyard, groovy garage, etc. House concerts are a unique and intimate musical experience in a curated, listening-room environment. House shows are hosted all over the world in various formats as a way to share music in a curated space ideal for songsmiths and storytellers. I have played dozens of listening room and house shows over the past few years on the road. Along with music festivals, they are my favorite performance-based way to share my craft.
The show:
Generally, house show hosts will leave a short period of time for guests to mix and mingle at least 30 minutes prior to showtime. Hosts can decide if they would like to have light refreshments, snacks, potluck, etc. A good host will introduce the artist before they start performing to help set the tone of the evening for a comfortable, attentive space.
How To Get People To Attend:
Word of mouth is generally the most affective way to get family, friends, and fans to come to a house concert you are hosting. Personal calls, texts, emails, and invitations to a private Facebook event, and snail-mail are some of the many ways to gather a group of music fans around the cause of a beautiful show. The attendance cap, be it 10 people or 1,000 people is left up to the host, as well as the majority of the guest promotions. I can publish the date, time, and location on my website where fans can have the option to email for further details about the event if the host wishes to solicit attendance requests from fans.
Money:
In general, the host will collect a suggested donation from the guests upon arrival, prior to the start of the show. Hosts can also simply choose to pay a flat rate for a house show. Either of these options can be good strategies, depending on the needs of your event.
The Experience:
I love the intimacy of a good house show. Rarely do I share personal anecdotes and stories behind songs outside of curated, listening-room environments. House shows are a great opportunity to connect on a deeper level through stories and songs. This is a highly rewarding way to both perform and listen to music.
Thank you for thinking about hosting a house concert. Please reach out through the form below to find out more and discuss hosting a show in your home.