So I arrive at the venue after trudging through the snow. I ring the bell and someone greets me who has no idea who I am. As I enter, I see the opening act setting up. I grab a beer and get a place to sit as the lights dim and the first act starts. Oh, I forgot to mention that I rang the bell and was warmly greeted by the owner of what was a house in a nice neighborhood who was also the lead singer of the opening band. The beer I brought myself, and I sat on a nice rug just feet from the other side of the living room where the bands were setup. This is what is called a house concert.
The concept of a house concert was something completely new to me, as well as for the other attendees that night. It was held by The Locals a Chicago alternative rock band. They performed followed by Steve Lawson and his lovely wife Lobelia Lawson. It was from Steve I heard about the house concert – he and I met at Nokia OpenLab this fall in Helsinki and he talked about his house concert “tour” in several US cities over Twitter. Most all of the others in attendance were friends and fans of The Locals.
House concerts are apparently something big in the UK, from where Steve and Lobelia hail. Which is not surprising, because a lot of cool things come from Europe and Asia and find their way to the US, but I digress. The advantage of a house concert is that it is a small, intimate audience in a comfortable setting that is not filled with smoke or overpriced beverages, not to mention the up-close and personal relationship the audience has with the artists themselves and vice-versa, which for me was they key for this.
Two sets comprised the evening, one by The Locals and the other by Steve and Lobelia, the latter alternating between solos by each as well as duets. As someone who spent most of his college days in the late 80’s in the radio station studios, I loved The Locals. They are a 3-piece band, with Yvonne as vocals and guitar, Christy as bass and Kirk on percussion. Yvonne’s voice reminded me a lot of Kristen Hersh. They played mostly their own, awesome original songs as well as a cover of the Heat Mizer song. They didn’t do Snow Miser because they like the hotter sibling of Mother Nature better! For a better idea of their music check out The Locals Web site.
Though I met Steve at OpenLab, I hadn’t heard his music until after I got back from the event. Even after hearing his, it wasn’t until I saw him perform that I truly appreciated his art. He plays the bass unlike I have seen before, and it’s hard for me to describe it. On his Web site’s home page is the words “New-Age Post-Rock Ambient-Jazz Solo-Bass” and if that’s not enough of a hook I don't know what is. He uses equipment and looping techniques to make it sound like there’s more than one musician playing.
Lobelia is an amazing singer and guitar player. She has a very soulful sound and her own original songs reflected this. Her cover of “You Spin Me Round” by Dead or Alive had everyone who was a fan of the 80’s in disbelief! She has also learned looping techniques from her husband and integrated them well into one of her own songs. Check out her Web site and listen!
Needless to say, it was a unique event and wished it didn't end. It was great to see Steve again and meet Lobelia. I also appreciated the hospitality of The Locals and got to know of a great local band. As I was leaving, I made a comment how there should be more house concerts, but being in Chicago I bet the pols would find a way to try to regulate and of course tax it! I got a few hisses from people, but Steve acknowledged that this is also happening in the UK. But in these times where thinking outside of the box is required, I hope more will be able to experience a house concert soon!
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I have a friend in London who regularily hosts one of these. I have to admit, the concept was very odd to me when I first heard of it. But who knows, weirder UK things have taken off on this side of the pond.
Comment by Chris McGowanHmmm… maybe your friend knows Steve and Lobelia?!
mp/m
Hey Mike,
Did you never meet Yvonne from the Locals at Duo? She used to work with me and Jeff and the crew and we’ve all rocked out at some point or another. Weird that your paths crossed in another way. See you Friday!
Hey Adam… Now that you and Jeff (on Facebook) mention it, we must have met at some point, even if at the Duo offices.
Too small of a world…!
mp/m
We have something what we call “terrace/roof concerts” in Bangalore. Its lot of fun on full moon days.
Good to know it happens on the other side of the earth too.
Hey Mike,
Did you never meet Yvonne from the Locals at Duo? She used to work with me and Jeff and the crew and we’ve all rocked out at some point or another. Weird that your paths crossed in another way. See you Friday!
Just one point to make about house concerts (which sound interesting) - I’ve lived in the UK all my life and I’d never heard of them until I read this article!
Hi Mike
Just happened across your blog and am glad to hear that you stumbled across house concerts. But I feel I really must correct your impression that house concerts are something cool that started in the UK and then begam making their way to the United State. Au Contraire!
People started holding concerts in their homes in the days of the caveman… and they continued to do so right up until the invention of electronic amplification made it possible for thousands of people to be crammed in a huge concert hall and still be able to hear musicians that were so far away from them that half the audience needed magnifying glasses to even be able to tell who was on stage.
However, I’m fairly certain that the modern “house concert” phenomena started in the American folk music world sometime in the early to mid-1980’s. I know for a FACT that the first house concert I ever attended was Urban Campfires in San Antonio, Texas and that was in the fall of 1991! At that point, I believe Urban Campfires had been in existence for about a year, and the people who were hosting it at that time admitted that they did not invent the idea but had heard about it from someone else at the Kerrville Folk Festival.
Rouse House (in Austin, Texas) originally hosted by my friends Bruce and Liz Rouse, started up in November of 1991 with Jon Ims as their first performer. I know. I was there and helped Liz and Bruce set up chairs ahead of the concert and clean up afterwards! The Rouse’s continued hosting house concerts on a monthly basis for the next 14 years.
In researching the history of house concerts, I came across an old high school newspaper from Niskayuna High School in Schenectedy, New York dated February 1979, which includes a discussion about training high school students to put on a Traditional Folk Music Festival by having them hold house concerts. Specifically, the article states “The training will involve many single events, such as mini-concerts, house concerts, and receptions, each giving students important responsibilities.” See http://www.nisk.k12.ny.us/nhs/warrior/issues/1978_1979/Issue06_Feb1979s.pdf
Still, Urban Campfires (which BTW, is STILL in existence although the hosts and the location have changed several times over the last twenty years) is pretty much considered to be the “grandfather of modern house concerts” by many of us now hosting house concerts. Rouse House is usually cited as another of the “grandfathers” although that series was taken over by the Rouse’s daughter and her husband and moved to Houston after Bruce passed away in 2005.
I personally know of at least 30 house concert series that take place on a fairly regular basis in the central Texas area. And, although I am not a musician, I have attended house concerts from California to NC to Maine to Florida and I have had house concert guests in my own home from as far away as Canada and Ireland.
The truth is, house concerts are a VERY WELL established 20+ year old phenomena here in the United States but I’m fairly certain they have just started happening in the UK, Europe, and Australia within the past 5 to 6 years or so. Concertsinyourhome.com has a map showing the location of more than 600 house concert series in the United States. Last time I looked, there were less than a dozen in Europe. I think there are close to that many house concert series happening in the Chicago area alone!
Here are a few websites that will fill you in on some of the history of “modern” house concerts, as well as connect you to some of the many many series that are currently happen all across the United States.
http://www.concertsinyourhome.org
http://drewpearce.com/portfolio/houseconcerts.html
http://www.urbancampfires.com/nytimes.htm
Of course, since news about house concerts travels mostly by word of mouth, it is absolutely POSSIBLE that there were house concerts happening in the UK before Urban Campfires and Rouse House… and we just didn’t know about them. But, given their proliferation in the United States as compared to Europe, it seems much more likely that they began here and then traveled over there. Don’t you think?
Ultimately of course, it really doesn’t much matter where the idea started. It is the coolest way to listen to live music imaginable! Still, it would be nice to occasionally realize that NOT everything cool gets its start in the UK and then travels west to us. Every now and again, we have some cool ideas over here that then travel eastward across the pond!
Happy house-concerting!
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The Hot Iron strives to present unique content and point-of-view on business, technology and other topics by Mike Maddaloni, a technology strategist based in Appleton, Wisconsin.
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