FOLKS
IN A ROOM
It's time to try something fun, something maybe new to you.
I'm opening my
calendar and offering my music live to anyone who wants to gather
folks in a room. I'm pretty sure I'll be in Texas, Washington, Illinois,
Iowa, South Dakota, Colorado, 
Wisconsin and Montana this year.
Maybe you'd
like to host a house concert (house equals any quiet comfortable space).
Maybe you're a teacher and you'd like to have a fun hour
of music in your classroom.
Maybe your church would like me to sing at worship or an
evening gathering.
If I'm traveling near, then it's a question of whether the date
works for you. If you're not too far from Minneapolis, then we can pick
any open dates. If you have the financial means, then I can travel further
to accommodate your preferred date with a travel budget.
I want to get out and play these songs for people. All you need
to do is find a way to get 30 to 50 people in a room and get them to throw
some money in the hat.
Everything else is optional.
Look
for an open date on my calendar, maybe a date when I'm in the neighborhood
(200 miles).
What is a House Concert?
Source: Concerts
In Your Home
It's an invitation-only concert in someone's home, presented by a host
who does not profit from the event.
Most house concerts are:
- held indoors and on weekends
- attended by 20-50 people
- paid for by a $10-20 donation per guest (to the performer)
- known to include light snacks, beverages or a pot-luck dinner
- attended by the host's friends, neighbors, co-workers, and maybe a few
fans of the artist
- performed by solo acts, duos and small groups
- performed with a very small sound system or no amplification
- very intimate - the audiences sit close and are attentive
- performed in two, 40-minute sets with a 20-minute break
- stronger for artist's merchandise sales than traditional venues
- perhaps able to house and feed the artist for the night
Although house concerts will adhere to most of these traditions,
you may not find any house concerts that run exactly according to the list
above. Each house concert is a collaboration between an artist, a host/presenter,
and their friends and supporters. What will yours be like?
"I've hosted James at
our house and it was one of the greatest gifts to give to my friends here
in St. Louis. We had a bunch of hor d'oeuvres, drinks and James doing what
he does best. We still have our friends talk about James or start singing
one of his kids songs to our son. Wonderful!"
Brandon Wade, St. Louis