On Trend: House Concerts

Why artists — and audiences — love ’em

By Ross Boissoneau | Feb. 24, 2018

For many musicians, gathering together in a friend’s house to strum their guitars is how their career started. But what if that was their career? Or at least a large part of it?

House concerts are a fact of life for many artists, both newcomers and established performers. They help fill in empty dates and allow them to meet new friends and create new fans.

“What’s wonderful is the type of intimacy you don’t get anywhere else,” said Nick Horner. Horner is a vocalist and multi-instrumentalist who lives in New York but is currently traveling around the East and Midwest with his musical partner Luke Chohany. He’ll perform March 17 at Acoustic Tap in Traverse City and then the next night in Petoskey at a house concert.

The differences between a “real” concert and a house concert are obvious. Large rock, country, and pop shows draw thousands to an arena with an enormous stage. The musicians might be dwarfed by the production, with blazing lights, pyrotechnics, and fog. An army of workers unloads instruments, amplifiers, stacks of speakers, and all the other equipment from trucks and tour buses to set up the show, then does the same in reverse to tear it down.

At a house concert, you have an audience of 20 to 25 people in a living room. There’s no light show (unless you count lamps with three-way bulbs), and often no amplification equipment at all. One or two people with acoustic guitars strum and sing, sometimes literally, for their supper. The artists, who double as the roadies, can fit all the equipment into a VW bug.

James Walker hosts shows from October through May as the WNMC House Concert Series. “It’s an enjoyable experience for all,” he said. “It’s a chance to do something different. There’s a certain vulnerability for the musicians playing in a room for 40 people who are very interested in what they’re playing.”

For their show at the Moon Tower (his name for his house/venue), the quartet the Crane Wives eschewed electricity altogether: two acoustic guitars, acoustic bass, no mics, and the drummer played a high hat and cajon.

Walker started holding concerts at his home in Traverse City in the fall of 2013, when folk duo Seth and May posted online that they were looking for homes to perform in across the state. May Erlewine said she still performs house concerts. “It’s the folk legacy, people playing songs in their home. It’s more participatory and more intimate,” said the Traverse City-based singer/songwriter. 

House concerts offer a greater connection between performer and audience. After all, they’re no more than a few feet from each other. The setting also allows for greater flexibility for the artist, who might choose to switch songs at a moment’s notice. “There’s no amp. They have to listen if you’re talking. And [people] are more likely to sing along or ask a question,” said Erlewine.

A few years ago, when one of the bands who had appeared at Blissfest asked Caroline Barlow, the organization’s volunteer and events manager, if she could arrange for an offseason show in the area, she found the group a gig at a backyard party. It went so well she looked into booking small-scale semi-regular concerts. That’s when the Tiny Room Shows series began, with Blissfest board member Susan Scott volunteering her home as the site. That’s the auspices under which Horner will perform in the Petoskey area, the second time he will have played a house concert there. 

The financial models for house concerts differ from artist to artist and house to house. Erlewine’s are typically ticketed events run through Earthwork Music, the collective encompassing many of the state’s folk and roots performers. WNMC House Concerts are ticketed through the station or ticketing agency PurplePass.com. Others simply pass a hat at shows. While the income from house concerts won’t rival that of larger-scale shows, all the profit goes to the musician.

For the audience, the appeal is multifold: Not only are the seats closer, the parking is easier, the drinks are cheaper, and the bathroom lines are smaller. Best of all is the vibe: The show is warmer and more personal, offering the artists a chance to really connect with fans. They don’t have to struggle to be heard over the sound of clinking glasses or worry about the sound system blowing up mid-show. They help touring artists fill open dates. Often the host also provides food and lodging. Erlewine said that’s always a welcome bonus and helps to keep her costs down.

Horner said the entire vibe is more casual. “It’s not a bar. People aren’t feeling pressured to spend money,” he said. “You can bring your own drinks, it’s a comfy environment, it’s often a potluck.” He sees that as a potential monetary bonus: Without costs for parking, drinks and food, attendees might be more inclined to support the artist by purchasing CDs or merchandise.

The casual atmosphere even extends to booking the shows. Horner said he and Chohany have about half their dates booked ahead of time. The rest are filled in with phone calls to friends or recommendations from audience members while they’re on the road. For the onetime Interlochen staffer, who performed with the NMC jazz bands and vocal jazz ensemble while he lived here, returning to Michigan means seeing old friends and making new ones. “We love coming back to Michigan,” he said.

Even for those as established as Erlewine, performing house concerts is still appealing. She’s doing a short tour later this month, performing in Grand Rapids, Cadillac, Kalamazoo and Ann Arbor. “It’s a wonderful way to share music. I just love it,” she said.