Hi Ralph,

How was the show with Bat McGrath?

Hi Fran,

The show was very good, Bat is a wonderful man and a fine performer. We had him back this fall for a main stage gig.

However, there is quite a story involved. Bat was interested in exploring house concerts, so he called me (I had done sound for him at a concert a while back) and asked if I was interested - of course I was. We set a date and did our normal spreading-of-the-word. The week before the concert, Jeff Spivak (the newspaper’s entertainment critic) did a feature article on house concerts in the area and we were prominently mentioned. When I got home there were 3 emails and 2 voice mails from the city demanding I contact their law department.

I did and talked to a woman who told me it was illegal to have house concerts in the city of Rochester. (Apparently they had passed a law the last summer when a hip-hop house party got out of control and 3 people were killed in the gunplay.) I responded by mentioning Freedom of Assembly and Freedom of Speech. Then she tried several other tactics.

  • They were worried about my safety with all the money exchanging hands. Answer: At a Folk Concert?
  • The city has noise ordinances. Answer: All acoustic, no amps.
  • Parking Problems. Answer: Same as any party in any house.
  • Running a business in a residential area. Answer: We derive no income from this activity.

We agreed to disagree and I told her that we were going to have the concert no matter what. I e-mailed Bat and he called a friend who is a reporter at Channel 13, figuring a little publicity wouldn’t hurt. So the morning of the show Channel 13 interviews the assistant mayor and effectively asks “What are you going to do about this guy who is breaking the law?” I don’t watch TV but we tuned in to see the interview and I wondered if we were about to host our first “jail cell concert” when the cops showed up to haul us away.

Anyway, Channel 13 shows up and interviews me before the concert, and tapes the first couple of songs. The Rochester Democrat & Chronicle made arrangements to podcast the first set. No police showed up and it was an anticlimax, nothing more than an enjoyable evening of music. I assume the city logged the call from their lawyer and forgot about it after covering their asses.

It did give me a great story to tell at parties, however.

Ralph

Note to hosts: We do not recommend this kind of publicity for obvious reasons. House concerts are “private parties” in a residence, attended by invitation only. If you promote your events through Facebook, a website, or even flyers or more public means, do not include your address. You don’t want unannounced strangers arriving at your home. Require an RSVP by email, and give yourself the option to screen people before giving them a detailed invitation.