Living Room/House Concert FAQ’s

What is a house concert?

· A house concert is a chance to hear live acoustic music in an intimate, listener friendly environment. You open up your home and invite friends and family into your living room to share in a performance by one of your favorite musicians. It’s a great way to introduce a new artist to an appreciative audience. Unlike a club, people have a chance to meet and interact with the performer without yelling and their feet sticking to the floor.

Is it expensive to host a house concert?

·  No, the host of the house concert gets a free night of great entertainment. Each invited guest pays a donation (unless you as the host have personally donated at the $2,500 mark to support Annagail). A typical donation for a house concert is $8-$12. If you are concerned about asking people to pay, let them know that all proceeds from ticket sales/donations go to the performer. This is a way for you and your guests to directly support a touring performer, and to have a memorable and unique evening at a reasonable price. By hosting a private concert at your home, you are simply providing a venue for the performance and allowing the magic and beauty of live music to continue.

How many people do I need to be able to have/host a house concert?

·  House concert audiences run anywhere from 10-50 people. Generally, 15-30 people is a good size crowd to shoot for. If you think of friends, family, small groups, social groups, and neighbors who might be interested, it’s pretty easy to get enough people together.

Is my house big enough to host a concert?

·  You would be surprised how many people can be seated comfortably in a living room. Using concert-style seating, with dining room or kitchen chairs and a little furniture rearranging can usual accomodate. Finding a spot for the ottomans is the biggest obstacle ahead of you. (why do you need that many anyway?  …honestly.) An average living room can usually seat 30-35 people. If needed, you can borrow stacking chairs from a local church or school, use patio chairs, or ask friends to bring a chair or two.

Should I provide refreshments?

·  Most house concert hosts provide coffee, (preferably good coffee) tea, or soft drinks, and often a dessert or appetizer. You can do as little or as much as you want, or invite others to bring food to share. (If you’re having a house concert for Annagail, coffee is always welcome!!  …did we mentioned that already?)

Do I need a sound system?

·  At most house concerts, the performer will play un-plugged. In such an intimate space, playing acoustically is often the best way to go. That can make a house concert all the more uniquely enjoyable for the audience.  It’s also an opportunity to hear the songs delivered in a different style.  However, if a sound system is needed based on house or audience size, Annagail will provide their own sound.

Sounds great, how do I schedule a house concert?

·  Annagail is always interested in playing a house concert. E-mail us at booking@annagail.net or call 615.544.5224, and we’ll set a date. Then, we’ll talk through all the details you need to know, from who to invite, when to call or send out invites, and how to set up the evening.

Thanks for supporting Annagail and live music in general,

-jared and jennifer

P.S. Special thanks to our friend Dave Potts (an amazing touring singer/songwriter) for letting us use a big chuck of the above ‘house concert’ description that he so masterfully wrote.  …if it ain’t broke…