What Is A House Concert?

A house concert is pretty much what it sounds like: a concert in someone's home rather than in an auditorium or a pub. They're a great way for independent artists to perform their music, meet some new people and even make a little money to support themselves. And it's a fantastic way for music lovers to hear great musicians without the noise and smoke of some dark and smelly bar. And best of all, you can talk to the musician during the show and ask questions about them and their music. Our house holds about 25 people, so it's small and intimate. We try to make an evening out of each concert, with conversation, music, old friends and new, and a very relaxed atmosphere.

Why do we host house concerts? To be honest, for selfish reasons. First and foremost, we want to hear some great music in the privacy of our own home and get a chance to talk to the musicians about their art. Next, we also like the idea of supporting independent musicians as they tour. And finally, there's always the thought that maybe one day one of these musicians will make it big and we'll be able to say, "We knew them way back when..." and have the pictures to prove it!

Rules of the House:

• Reservations are required. If we accept your reservation request, that is your invitation to join the performance.
• These are private events in our home, we reserve the right to refuse giving a reservation to anyone for any reason, and we reserve the right to ask anyone to leave whom we've already let into the house. Behave or else!
• Showing up the day of the concert unannounced would be frowned upon.
  (That is why you won't find the street address on this site.)
• Likewise, making a reservation and not showing up without cancelling is frowned upon.
  (It may get you removed from my mailing list.)
• No Smoking. Not even outside. Period. End of discussion.
• Talking to the musicians between songs is not only allowed, but encouraged.
• Conversely, talking to each other during the music is not allowed.
• If you have serious pet allergies, the hostess and we have two cats and a dog.
• We ask for donations for the musicians. Typically between $15-$20. They are just that, donations given on the honor system, 100% of which goes to the musician (unless otherwise noted). We NEVER keep any donation money for ourselves.
• Unfortunately, the house is old and not wheelchair accessible. It's a 50-some-year-old house. But this will change once our house renovations are complete. So stay tuned!
• Children over about the age of 10 are welcome if they come to listen to the music. These are adult events because alcohol is served and some of the content may be inappropriate for younsters. Bringing your child who loves music is great! But providing a game to keep them quiet will be frowned upon.
• Concerts on Bonnie Branch is a GLBT-friendly house. My wife and I welcome you and your partner and your friends.

If you'd like to know more about house concerts in general, one website you can visit is Concerts In Your Home. The site is run by Fran Snyder, a musician and concert host himself.

If you have any questions, feel free to drop me an e-mail to the address on the main page. I'd be happy to talk to you about house concerts. —Ryan & Carolyn
 

 
Below are some before-and-after photos of our living room under normal circumstances, and transformed as a concert hall!

This is my living room as we see it every day (except it's cleaner here!).
It's 12 feet wide by 20 feet long and holds 34 people max.

This photo shows the room from the "stage" area looking to the back row.
That's our good friend Greg, who also records the shows and helps us set up.

And this is our living room reconfigured as a concert hall for David Morreale.

Here is our living room set up for Christine Havrilla.

These two photos of Christine show the lighting we use for the stage area.
Fifty-watt spotlights screwed into simple desk lamps. Works great.

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