House Concerts
Monday, July 23, 2007 at 07:59AM 
Been on the road the last ten days with little chance at a computer or time to post, but I am home now. Having just done several house concerts, I’d like to talk about house concerts. Let me begin by saying that it truly is one of my favorite performance venues. The situation is so intimate and the interaction with the audience is so very special to me. Today I would first like to talk about some basics that the house concert host/producer should know.
One of the shows I recently did was put on by someone who hadn’t done it before. He talked to all his friends and they all assured him that they would be there. Please believe me when I say that if twenty people promise you that they are coming, count on one of them being there. People are not liars, they just mean well, but life and entropy can intrude. “I am already here, why should I move?”
The best way to insure that an audient will be there is to explain that the performer is coming along way with no guarantee and that seating is limited as it is a house and not a theatre. You as the producer of the concert, need to know how many people will be there. You want a manageable crowd and not an uncomfortable mob. Consequently, you say to the perspective guest, the only way to insure your seat is to give your donation now. You collect the donations in front. The fellow putting on the show the other night didn’t collect them at all. He simply had a little basket with a sign that read “donations”. While we were singing, he moved the basket over to the donations table. And he did this as inobtrusively as possible. Sensitive to our artistic needs, but not to our economic ones.
On our break we sold a few CD’s and talked to the crowd, whereupon I discovered that folks were putting in a $15 donation and taking a CD. Those are different activities. Paying for the concert with a donation is one thing. Purchasing a CD is another separate exchange.
I made an announcement that the donation was for the concert but, too late I am afraid. It ended up that no one paid for the show and we didn’t make enough money to cover our hotel, gas or car rental. And everyone who came seemed to thoroughly enjoy the show. They just hadn’t been instructed in what takes place at a house concert. They are an opportunity to see an artist up close; watch his fingers, see how he breathes before singing; interact. This is a special situation and all who attend, artist and audient alike, should be rewarded by the exchange.
So if you can’t collect the money before hand, you collect it at the door. Have checks made out to the artist so that you don’t have to get in the middle of the depositing and bad check malaise.
Another good idea is to simply charge say, $25 at the door, and that would include a CD. That way, everyone coming to the show goes away with something. However, that would have to be worked out with the artist before hand. We’ll talk tomorrow about some other aspects of this growning and truly wonderful way of hearing music or theatre.
Reader Comments (4)
Hmmm ... I think your idea of charging a higher door and including a CD is an excellent marketing ploy, and I may try a variant of that in the future.
It is conceivable that charging a higher ticket price might be a deterrent to some folks - especially those who are not really familiar with the artist. However, if you made a CD available at a discount with advance purchase you'd probably have a lot of takers, and hopefully a good idea as to how well-attended the event will be.
Don't be afraid to strongly recommend the advance purchase either way. Explain that seating is limited and can only be guaranteed through an advance purchase. If ticket sales are slow, contact the artist a week or so beforehand and give them the heads up. Make them a part of the decision process. Chances are they'll play anyway. At least they won't have an unpleasant surprise, and they can budget their trip accordingly.
Also - a good (meaning well organized) press release is absolutely necessary. Press people are as lazy as any of us, and the easier it is to 'copy and paste' the more likely it is that you'll see an event in the newspaper or hear it read over the air.
Leave the whizzy fonts and pictures out and stick to the facts: Who, When, Where and How Much. Be very organized and straight-to-the-point. Crazy fonts and font sizes tend to distract the (presumably busy, deadline driven) reader, and might very easily wind up in the 'later' pile. Later never comes - trust me on that.
Put those basic facts at the very beginning of your press release, then write a lengthy description after that information. Honest - you'll get more publicity, and therefore, attention that way.
matt, you make some good points, especially about the press release. beachwood recordings gets all kinds of elaborate packages in the mail from artists and managers repping artists and if we don't like the music, we toss the package unless there is an sase. start with the music and the facts. if folks are interested then you can send them the big package and they will actually look at it. if they don't know who you are they can actually be daunted by a large package. too much information for which they have no interest. good point, matt.
James Lee Stanley asked, as a producer of house concerts, how I select my performers, and how I handle my concerts. I'll try to address both of these questions here.
Performers: I attend a lot of concerts around the San Diego area. I will approach a performer about a concert if I have seen them perform more than once, and each time I have been thrilled by their music. It's a very subjective thing. My other half, Jeff usually accompanies me. He actually has an even better ear than I do, and I completely trust his musical judgment.
So,he's my second opinion, and I usually won't sign anyone withit his approval.
Since we belong to Sierra Club, we have made each concert a Sierra Club, and a Sierra Club Singles Section, event. As such we publish in the Hi Sierran with a circulation of about 6,000, and in the Happenings, with a singles circulation of about 350. We get alot of response to these notices. In addition, I've developed a mailing list of about 200 people. I email notices to my mailing list a little over a month before the concert, then send a reminder about a week or so before.
I hold them about every 2 months on a Saturday night. I charge $15 at the door, and I require reservations in advance, but not money. All the money is paid to the performers. There is usually a 20% no-show factor. My house will hold 60 paid (I've had as many as 58), and I overbook if I get enough reservations.
I provide drinks (water, beer, soft drinks) and people often bring some to share. I've made it an optional snack food pot luck, and I furnish a few snacks as well. I also provide plates, implements, etc.
I'm told thatthe acoustics in my house are fantastic. Everyone says they can see and hear well even in the last row, and even when it's all acoustic. The audience loves the venue and the performers we select, and all the performers that have played here have raved about the venue. There's a marvelous dynamic between the performers and the audience that's magical.
Berkley Hart got me started on these, and I've continued with them because I get a great deal of pleasure in having such magnificent musicians performing in my own home. I consider whatever I provide to be my contribution to furthering talented local musicians, in the hope that they will continue to make great music in our area.
carol, what a gracious and comprehensive post. very valuable stuff. i will refer people to these comments. thanks so much for taking the time to do this.
see you in san diego,
james lee stanley