Absolutely, Mooh! House concerts are unbelievably special.
I totally understand about the winter driving problem (I used to live in the snowbelt). I was just happy that it wasn't snowing or raining here on Saturday night - so that people we coming in with DRY coats and DRY boots!

I wrote a little review of the house concert for Maplepost, and so I'll copypaste it here for you at the Mudcat. This is what it said:


We had a house concert here in our home in Toronto last Saturday night, with RICK FINES and RICHARD SIMPKINS. I can't begin to tell you how wonderfully magical it was to hear them play that evening. Both of them remarked that it was a good and different experience to perform an acoustic concert - Rick seemed to be surprised at how quietly and delicately he could play and still be heard easily, right to the back of the room - our music room is blessed with very good acoustics.   Richard's bass fiddle bow had broken right before the concert, but no matter - he plucked brilliantly the whole night, and what a treat it was to hear him share solos back and forth with Rick. I don't need to tell anybody on this list that Rick's songs are amazing. They always reach right into the heart. Everyone in the audience was hanging on every word and every note, the whole evening.

We were sold out at about 40 people. The concert began at 8:00 (with a short opening act by Rick Speyers, Jeff Morrison and myself), and ended just before 12 midnight. I think that Rick Fines and Richard Simpkins might have kept on playing even longer - but a few people, including Richard, had parked their cars in places that would be ticketed after 12am, so we called it a night.

We don't host many house concerts in our home, but previously we've hosted for Eileen McGann and David Francey (with Dave Clarke), as well as a fund-raiser for The Woods Music and Dance Camp Scholarship Fund. On Feb. 14 we're hosting one for Katherine Wheatley (with Michael Bolton opening).   Now we can add the Rick Fines / Richard Simpkins house concert to the list, as yet another one that we will treasure in our memory banks for the rest of our days. Thank to all who performed, and thanks to a great audience as well!

~Debbie (black walnut) & Bill (husband of black walnut)