house concerts and 21st century touring

When we think of concert tours, we’re likely to imagine diesel-guzzling buses, truss-filled semi-trailers, and jet-setting artists. Or we might imagine a rock-and-roll band playing under the hot lights at a smoky clubs full of inebriated college students. It’s certainly less dramatic to think of a singer-songwriter touring the country in a small car with his acoustic guitar, CDs, and a suitcase.

It might interest “green-leaning” readers to know that you can witness a powerful music performance that leaves a pretty small carbon-footprint compared to what we’ve come to expect from musical acts - and it might happen in your living room! Consider the growing “house concert” movement.

In at least 48 states and provinces, music fans are regularly opening their homes for private concerts. Through their own connections or by using sites like http://concertsinyourhome.com, they can find touring or local artists who enjoy performing for intimate crowds. This non-traditional setting allows small or acoustic acts to make some money, get free lodging, and often make a much stronger connection with the listeners than they could at a typical club or coffeehouse show.

House concerts are not just a very cool trend that is keeping touring songwriters alive, but a wonderful environmental trend as well. Consider these factors…

Reduced auto emissions:
1. artists travel light (very little equipment needed), allowing them to use smaller vehicles than they would for conventional tours.
2. house concert audiences are predominantly people from nearby areas - often times neighbors just crossing the street on foot.
3. artists often receive meals and lodging, which eliminates several additional car trips and commuting miles.
4. artists can often schedule several shows in one area (usually unwise when touring clubs), which allows them to travel less per earned dollar.

Reduced electrical use:
1. most house concerts require very little extra lighting.
2. most house concerts require very little amplification of sound.

Healthier environment:
1. most homeowners discourage smoking or excessive drinking at these events.
2. volume levels are much quieter than club shows which is great for everyone’s hearing health.

These events vary greatly, and not every factor listed would apply to all house concerts. But it would be hard to argue that these small, localized events are less sustainable than the mega-tours we see every summer.

For more information about house concerts, visit http://concertsinyourhome.com