First Ever House Concert

Subject: First Ever House Concert
From: black walnut
Date: 06 Jun 01 - 06:15 PM

We're having our first ever house concert here a week from Saturday. Any last minute advice?

~black walnut

Subject: RE: First Ever House Concert
From: Bill D
Date: 06 Jun 01 - 08:51 PM

move breakable items....arrange chairs so that late comers enter in the back...have pillows and low chairs up front....extra toilet paper....if there's $$$ involved, put a bowl WITH change in a handy place, and point at it gently once or twice....

Subject: RE: First Ever House Concert
From: gnu
Date: 06 Jun 01 - 09:04 PM

LOCK YOUR UPRIGHT FREEZER !!!! People mistake the freezer for the fridge after imbibing and it's possible that they may not shut the door on it properly, thereby causing the thawing of a lot of expensive foodstuffs... the b*****ds cost me a lot of bucks one session, just because they left that door open a half inch.

Subject: RE: First Ever House Concert
From: Bill D
Date: 06 Jun 01 - 09:13 PM

oh, yes...the host can EITHER reserve a good seat early, or be content to hover in the kitchen and keep an eye on things..*grin*

Subject: RE: First Ever House Concert
From: black walnut
Date: 07 Jun 01 - 06:51 AM

SUMMARY A:

breakables, chairs, toilet paper, change, reserve, freezer door, hover.

Subject: RE: First Ever House Concert
From: gnu
Date: 07 Jun 01 - 07:32 AM

Invite your closest neighbours if it's going to be loud or late. If you don't really like your neighbours, invite them anyway, but tell them it's going to start at start time plus one hour. If you hate your neighbours, casually tell them about the party and complain about wishing you had more room for all of the people who are attending.

One of my neighbours, Pentecostal Minister, no less, hasn't been able to figure out this bit of manners yet for late night endings. Say your goodbyes IN the house with the door SHUT, thereby keeping conversation outdoors to a minimum. Mention that they should refrain from honking their car horns as a goodbye gesture because, 1) sick neighbour; 2) nasty neighbour; 3) young, sick, nasty neighbour children; 4) you will go to their house late at night and honk your car horn.

Subject: RE: First Ever House Concert
From: Bardford
Date: 07 Jun 01 - 10:02 AM

Alan Rowoth has collected a number of helpful house concert links here:

Click here

Cheers, Bardford

Subject: RE: First Ever House Concert
From: wysiwyg
Date: 07 Jun 01 - 11:07 AM

You performing AND hosting? If so recruit a spare host to help.

Ask a friend to come real early to check your set-up as a guest who has never been in your home will encounter it. Think in terms of making your house self-service-- prep all you can in advance so that it is all obvious, and then relax and let people be in charge of themselves.

Have a quiet room ready in case anyone feels unwell or needs a place with a phone to answer a beeper. (And ask people to set beepers on silent/vibrate mode!)

I had most all my stuff done by the night before, for our Gathering, and then planned some down time on the actual day it began so I could get some distance from the madness of prep and settle into the fun of the event. I didn;t plan enough down time, for it got eaten up with last minute prep. Only thing I wish I had done differently-- go OUT for lunch before it all got crazy.

~S~

~S~

Subject: RE: First Ever House Concert
From: black walnut
Date: 07 Jun 01 - 12:31 PM

SUMMARY B:

neighbours, honking, link, self-serve, beepers, lunch out.

(Our attached-to-semi neighbours are going to be OUT of the country. Yes and no about performing AND hosting, WYSIWYG....JeffM, also a 'catter, and I are opening for celtic singer Eileen McGann)

~b.w.

Subject: RE: First Ever House Concert
From: black walnut
Date: 07 Jun 01 - 12:34 PM

HOLY TOLEDO, BARDFORD! WHAT A LINK!

~b.w.

Subject: RE: First Ever House Concert
From: Bardford
Date: 07 Jun 01 - 01:42 PM

Yup. Alan Rowoth has put together a wonderful resource. Hope your concert is a positive experience, B.W.
(BTW, you might want to check this thread for some decorating tips...:

http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=35178&messages=8

Bardford

Subject: RE: First Ever House Concert
From: black walnut
Date: 08 Jun 01 - 06:30 AM

Well, Bardford...I've spent some time going through some of those links, and it's put my mind at ease. Aside from unforseeable calamaties, it looks as though we're headed toward a great evening.

As far as the decorating goes, I'm hoping that our serviceberries will ripen. Right outside the bay window in the living room are 2 serviceberry (a.k.a.Juneberry)trees which are covered in green berries. I'd like them to be red for the concert, please!

~b.w.

Subject: RE: First Ever House Concert
From: Trapper
Date: 08 Jun 01 - 10:16 AM

My advice... PUT UP ABOUT 6 or 8 FEWER CHAIRS than the number of people you expect. That forces everyone to the front, and if you have no-shows, it won't seem so empty to the performer and the rest of your guests. Be ready to bust out your hidden chairs when the people to sit in them actually arrive.

Have an INTERMISSION... GREAT way for the audience to meet the performer, get a drink, go to the loo, and BUY CDs!!

COLLECT EMAIL/SNAIL MAIL ADDRESSES for your NEXT house concert! We do our house concerts with email only - really saves on the expenses.

Give a brief but personal INTRODUCTION of the entertainer and their music - ie, why do YOU like them so much?

Good luck, have fun!

- Al

Subject: RE: First Ever House Concert
From: black walnut
Date: 08 Jun 01 - 02:25 PM

Love the chair idea, Trapper! That's easy for us to do, too, because we can leave the dining room (up a couple of steps) chairs to set up at the last minute very easily.

All the other ideas will happen too...especially the fun part.

~b.w.

Subject: RE: First Ever House Concert
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 08 Jun 01 - 02:59 PM

some people may think this on a little gross, but I think it's a good idea...

Where the WC is concerned... and in a effort to conserve water... a sign inviting people to "If It's Yellow, Let It Mellow" can be a really good idea... have a couple of strongly scented candles burning SAFELY in there to cover stank as well... not everyone reaches for the air spray after marking their territory as it were...

;-)

Subject: RE: First Ever House Concert
From: black walnut
Date: 09 Jun 01 - 11:09 AM

I think it's a good idea, but I also think it's a little gross....

~b.w.

Subject: RE: First Ever House Concert
From: black walnut
Date: 10 Jun 01 - 08:22 AM

I think the hardest thing about this concert is the lighting. It's difficult to get spotlights high enough up, so that the performer isn't having to stare into them. Without putting holes in the walls or ceiling, that is. Or spending lots of money. And to complicate matters, the audience is in the round, so you can't have side lighting that the audience will have to look at, either.

I think we've come up with a solution....three lights clipped to door frames and a curtain rod seem to work.

Now, if we can keep the crows out back from squabbling in the back yard during the concert...

~b.w.

Subject: RE: First Ever House Concert
From: Crazy Eddie
Date: 10 Jun 01 - 10:20 AM

"We're having our first ever house concert here a week from Saturday. Any last minute advice?
Well, I think that's a cheek, coming onto a "Folk & Blues" site to ask advice about "house" music! :0)
But seriously folks... Is this going to be a formalised concert (audience to sit down & shut up) or a more interactive, (bring your instrument & join in)?
If the latter, then you're seating needs to be more flexible, to allow any additional musicians to see/ hear the others. Best of Luck! Eddie

Subject: RE: First Ever House Concert
From: black walnut
Date: 10 Jun 01 - 10:37 AM

It's going to be of the "Formalized Audience Sit Down and Shut Up Inflexible Seating" variety.

Thanks, Eddie!

~b.w.

Subject: RE: First Ever House Concert
From: wysiwyg
Date: 10 Jun 01 - 10:48 AM

BW, if you put a speaker out in the back, will it shut the crows up? And what ARE you doing about sound anyhow? Remember that the more seating (and people) you add to the room, the more it will absorb sound. The ones I have been at have been totally acoustic-- are you locating your performers for best bouncing-around-the-room sound?

And will everyone be able to see? Are you raising them up any, or offering them a high stool, etc.? Are you arranging chairs with tallest-sitting at the back, and will there be some pillows in front for layabouts? What about accessibility for people with mobility impairments, and reserved seats for anyone with back problems or other special needs? (Not everyone who needs some accommodation is wheelchair-bound.)

Do you have an overlfow seating space where people can hang out until the "break and switch places" time, if attendance gets past your seating area?

~S~

Subject: RE: First Ever House Concert
From: black walnut
Date: 10 Jun 01 - 01:05 PM

WYSIWYG:

1. I live in a crowded city. If I put a speaker out in my back yard, both the crows and the neighbours would start cawing!

2. It'll be totally acoustic. We have a big living room with fairly bare walls and no carpets. We'll make people wear hard surfaces as well. Chinked armour might be nice.

3. Everybody will be able to see if they bring their own telephone book. We'll arrange the tallest people at the back and the shortest at the front. (Actually, it'll be in the semi-round, and some people will be up in a higher dining room area.

4. We've sold all the tickets. As far as we know, the physical disabilities will include hard-of-hearing (we'll treat her to the best acoustic seat), and 3 people with perfume allergies (we've taken out the scented candles, and we've asked people not to wear perfume or aftershave).

5. Crashers (except the two who've prewarned us about their possible arrival), WILL NOT BE TOLERATED!!!

~b.w.

Subject: RE: First Ever House Concert
From: black walnut
Date: 14 Jun 01 - 12:31 PM

Over 40 people coming. Last minute juggling of the waiting list. Last minute buying of the strawberries and the pastries and the halavah. Last minute setting up of chairs. Last minute changing of dulcimer strings....to a beautiful set of squeakless bass Larkins. Last minute picking up from the airport. Lots and lots of last minuteses, but it's all on the master list. I hope.

Other than our British Columbia performer, the people coming the farthest are the couple bicycling into Toronto from New York.

This is going to be very fun!

~b.w.

Subject: RE: First Ever House Concert
From: Peter T.
Date: 14 Jun 01 - 12:40 PM

Hey, bw. Think "House" first, "Concert" second. The other way round is no fun. I look forward to being a guest in your house: the concert is like a surprise bonus.
yours, Peter T.

Subject: RE: First Ever House Concert
From: black walnut
Date: 14 Jun 01 - 12:41 PM

That is SO SWEET! Thank you, Peter! And I look forward to meeting you all over again!

~b.w.

Subject: RE: First Ever House Concert
From: black walnut
Date: 19 Jun 01 - 08:21 AM

....and remeet I did. Sorry for centering you out like that during the opening, Peter...it just sort of happened! I'm glad we had a chance to have a bit of a chat during the break.

The house concert...or as one person said, 'home concert'...was a dream come true! Eileen McGann blessed us (I can't think of a more perfect word) with her voice and songs and warmth. Several mudcatters came, some other friends and family, and we met some new people as well. There were over 40 of us. We were cozy (okay, squished)together, and when we sang together, the sound was splendid.

All of our planning and organization beforehand allowed my husband and I to be able to sit back and thoroughly enjoy the evening. We had a whole weekend with Eileen McGann, and grew to love her even more.

Thanks again for all of your helpful hints and words of encouragement!

~b.w.

Subject: RE: First Ever House Concert
From: black walnut
Date: 20 Jun 01 - 08:27 AM

Correction: The people who came the farthest were not from New York. I'm not sure where I got that idea from. No, it was a married pair...he lives in Michigan, she in Washington D.C.....and they didn't bike to Toronto...they took the train here, and so did their bikes. They'd never heard Eileen live before, but they'd memorized all of her CD's. We spent the next afternoon with them - 2 very nice people!

~b.w.

Subject: RE: First Ever House Concert
From: wysiwyg
Date: 20 Jun 01 - 09:15 AM

Good job!!!!

Now that you have done it, what was the thing you would do differently next time, or do earlier on to be even more relaxed and enjoying it?

~S~

Subject: RE: First Ever House Concert
From: black walnut
Date: 20 Jun 01 - 10:45 AM

We'd take photos.

~b.w.

Subject: RE: First Ever House Concert
From: marty D
Date: 20 Jun 01 - 10:50 AM

Congratulations Black Walnut. This thread has read like a manual on how to bring folk music to the 'folk'. Thanks.

Rick

Subject: RE: First Ever House Concert
From: black walnut
Date: 20 Jun 01 - 12:52 PM

....or maybe not. Taking photos can get in the way of having a seriously good time. The memories are in living colour.

You're right, Rick. A good friend of mine wrote a wonderful song called "Music in the Kitchen". I'd wager that music in the living room is the next best thing.

~b.w.

Subject: RE: First Ever House Concert
From: Trapper
Date: 20 Jun 01 - 03:04 PM

BW -

Emmy Lou Harris' dialog on "Will The Circle Be Unbroken II" comments about "Living Room Music" is her favorite kind.

Re: pictures. I take one or two early in the concert to get it out of the way, also to post on a yet-to-be-produced website about our house concerts, "The Old Kitchen Rug Brewery House Concert Series" in Minneapolis. (I'm also a home-brewer, so I make a keg of home brew for each of our house concerts....)

-Al

Subject: RE: First Ever House Concert
From: black walnut
Date: 20 Jun 01 - 04:03 PM

We thought we had the photo thing figured out (my husband is a member of the local camera club, after all)...but then we ended up not using the spotlights at the very last minute. Would have been too hot (even with the air conditioning full tilt). Could see quite well without them. But too dark for pictures.

We took a couple of pictures of Eileen the next day. Maybe they worked out, maybe not. We'll see.

~b.w.

Subject: RE: First Ever House Concert
From: black walnut
Date: 20 Jul 01 - 01:51 PM

They didn't turn out. Nary a one. Oh well. Memories are more colourful anyway.

~b.w.

Subject: RE: First Ever House Concert
From: GUEST,Skip Jones
Date: 21 Jul 01 - 01:20 PM

We started House Concerts in 1977... Back when no one had heard of them.

The best advice is to enjoy. Forget the PA (I've been playing for 25 years and house concerts are best if not to large...15 to 35 people... Acoustic and share some food...

Enjoy and don't try and be the "Big Show" in town... They have arts councils for that...

When we started them we want to do a few things.... One, introduce people to "folk" Two, broaden the venue base for the music, "help" performers to meet road expenses by providing a meal, bed and a pass of the hat to help with expenses...

Check it out at www.SkipJones.net

We have enough high hype and big time stuff. Bring the music back to the homes and people.

Subject: RE: First Ever House Concert
From: black walnut
Date: 24 Jul 01 - 02:12 PM

Eileen said we should consider a voice mic. That will be our only real change next time, if we do it. I think it might be a good idea.

~b.w.

Subject: RE: First Ever House Concert
From: GUEST,petr
Date: 24 Jul 01 - 03:22 PM

one thing that came up at a house concert I attended, was that some people wanted to record it. That was cleared up quickly (the artist Bruce Molsky didnt want that as he makes a living from the music and cds were available). everyone was fine with that. cheers Petr. btw where are you?

Subject: RE: First Ever House Concert
From: black walnut
Date: 24 Jul 01 - 03:55 PM

Who, me?

~ b.w.