As a singer-songwriter (in the acoustic folk-pop vein), I can vouch for the fact that there are some types of gigs that just don’t seem to work for me. They include sports bars (there was that time in New Hampshire when I sang in front of a big-screen TV airing a Boston Red Sox playoff game), high-end clubs (where a jazz quartet playing background music might be more appropriate) and even some coffeehouses where the “stage” is right next to the loud cappuccino machine.
There is also a dream gig for songwriters, in my opinion: House concerts. Simply put, house concerts are intimate, often acoustic sets played at someone’s house — in the living room, maybe, or perhaps the backyard. Some chairs, some munchies, some attentive folks in the audience, and you’ve got a show where people are actually listening (what a concept!) to the words you spent so much time and effort writing. Oh, and they can pay well, to boot — with often 100% of the proceeds going to the artists, thanks to generous hosts and thankful audiences.
After attending some lovely house concerts over the past few years, including the “Music Over Manhattan” series at my songwriter friend Tom Boyd’s home, I’m convinced that these are the shows I want to play — and that I want to watch. To that end, I recently put up a profile for my duo, Sweet Bitters, on a website called Concerts in Your Home, run by Fran Snyder, a singer-songwriter who promotes the house concert mission happily and vigorously.
Of course, I had to find out more about house concerts and what they can mean for singer-songwriters around the world — and those who love to listen to their music! Here’s what Fran had to say…that’s his picture in the top left corner of his post, by the way…
Q: Why are house concerts such a great venue for songwriters?
A: It’s becoming more and more challenging to earn a living wage by performing in traditional venues – clubs, restaurants, concert halls. House concerts allow the concert to take place without the venue having a profit motive.. therefore, the artist gets 100% of the funds raised by the event. Also, house concert hosts tend to feed and house the traveling artist for the night, which is a great cost savings for a tour. Finally, house concerts provide an attentive audience, with a demographic of people who have money to spend and a desire to take home a souvenir CD after the show.
Q: How can songwriters benefit from doing house concert gigs?
A: Songwriters (who can perform well) love the intimacy of house concerts, which allow them to share the stories behind the songs and a much more relaxed performance than clubs allow.
Q: What is the biggest challenge for songwriters in terms of performing at house concerts? How do they differ performance-wise from, say, a coffeehouse or festival gig?
A: The biggest challenge is the proximity of the audience (practically in your lap in some cases) which makes it hard for an artist who doesn’t have confidence. The second biggest is personality… audiences expect some fun stories, give and take, and a friendly personality before and after the show. House concerts are not for prima donnas.
Q: How has the house concert landscape grown/changed since you’ve been involved?
A: the growth seems to be accelerating (necessity is the mother of invention) and the social networking tools allow many of these series to become very successful at drawing audiences.
Q: What’s the history of www.concertsinyourhome.com?
A: I’m a singer-songwriter with a LOT of road experience. When I did my first house concert 8 years ago I instantly fell in love with the format, the audiences, and the possibilities. I became very frustrated by looking for house concert opportunities online, since many websites were out of date, information was disorganized or incomplete, and emails were unlikely to reach intended recipients. I decided to not only fix that, but create a community that could grow and allow its members to support each other.
Q:What keeps you inspired to keep going with the site and promoting house concerts?
A: The accelerating pace of “thank you” emails. The site is really having an impact on the careers of talented acts, and the lives of music-loving fans.
Q: What would your top tips be for songwriters looking to get involved in the house concert scene?
A: Right here: http://www.squidoo.com/houseconcertbookings
Hmm…I’m hungry for a house concert already! What about you?
