house concerts and 21st century touring

I just spoke with one of our former hosts, who gave up something he loved (house concerts).

He had built a beautiful gazebo/amphitheater in his backyard with house concerts specifically in mind. The events and the view were simply breathtaking, and his series became very popular in his rural Texas community.

Then, the next door neighbor put up an oil well, ruining the view, and pumping oil out of the ground 24/7. It’s easy to see that it must have been a depressing site, and a serious reason to re-consider hosting events there. Accordingly, he hasn’t hosted a show in quite some time.

When I called and heard his story, I was surprised to hear that he never even considered asking one of his many “regulars” or volunteers to host an event at THEIR place! I could almost hear the wheels turn in his head. Or what about moving the event inside? That’s where most house concerts happen anyway!

He intimated that hosting shows was the most fun he’d ever had. And he gave it up simply because he couldn’t think outside the box (OK, it was a really nice box.) when change became necessary.

I explained to him that we have more than a handful of hosts on our website who don’t use their own home. They organize, book, and help promote concerts in SOMEONE ELSE’S home. Same fun, half the work.

If you love live music, independent artists, and yes, house concerts, please don’t let the little things (or oil wells) get in the way. All you need is some friends, some space, and great music.

I hope I’ve inspired him to jump back in. Hosts are a more valuable resource than last-century oil.

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I regularly get emails from hosts regarding whether or not they should sign contracts. These things tend to show up when you book an artist that is represented by an agent. Agents rarely take the time to write a different contract for house concerts. Therefore, there are some ridiculously inappropriate expectations in artist contracts that often throw house concert hosts for a loop.

Most often, the host winds up crossing out half the things in the contract, and the artist is completely agreeable to it. Keep these in mind when you get your first (or your next) contract.

Hosts:

• should never sign anything that makes them uncomfortable
• should never agree to something they “hope” can make happen
• should only agree to a “guarantee” they can cover without missing a car payment

Are contracts evil? Are they even enforceable? Will I get sued? (no.maybe. probably not.)

For all the reasons to avoid contracts when possible, they do serve a very important purpose: they help clarify the expectations of each side, and they can help avoid unpleasant surprises.

Picture this: you are an artist, counting on the free guest room after the house concert, and terribly allergic to cats. The host forgets to mention he has two Himalayans, and that your bed is where they like to nest on sunny afternoons.

House concerts are a personal experience, and these events can cross a lot of territory that wouldn’t ordinarily happen with a traditional venue. If you have 5 roosters in the backyard that start crowing at 4:30am - you’ll want to bring that up, and it wouldn’t hurt to have a reliable tool to remind you.

In this spirit, I think it would actually be very helpful for every host to have a sample agreement of their own, one especially geared to their expectations and needs. It’s not necessary to require signatures, but why not have a simple email like this ready to go when you book an artist for a house concert

The house concert contract… does not exist.
However, if it did, it might look something like this:

Artist Name: ______
Artist’s Representative (if any)_____________
Host Name:______

Both parties, artist and host, make this agreement in order to create a fantastic, fun time, and to make sure they are aware of their responsibilities to make that happen.

________ is the date the house concert will take place
________ is the time the show will start
between ______ and _______ is the time the artist should arrive
the artist will perform ____ minutes, take a break, and then play ____ minutes more - give or take a few.

Artist (initial all that apply)
__ will show up on time, sober, friendly, and ready to entertain.
__ will remain at least as sober as the host.
__ is comfortable with house hold pets, except _______ and tarantulas.
__ will be friendly to the audience/hosts/guests, but may require some alone time and space before the start of the show.
__ will respect the home, and not leave wet towels on hardwood floors.
__ will honor the smoking policy, and does/does not need a convenient place to smoke.
__ is comfortable with the host’s requirement of a show that would not be rated more than G/PG/R in content.

Host (initial all that apply)
__ will pay a small deposit of _______ to hold the date
__ have food for the artist, most likely _______
__ have a bed or room for the artist’s to stay the night
__ provide an obvious place for the guests to place the suggested donation (i.e. suggested donation: $15)
__ will/will not allow children to attend. Teenagers capable of acting like adults may attend.

Both parties are aware that brown stuff can hit the fan. That said, both artist and host will do their utmost to uphold this agreement. If the event must be cancelled, both parties will be as accommodating as possible, by doing things like re-scheduling, refunding or forfeiting the deposit, buying a few CDs, sending chocolates or whatever it is that a kind person would do. Artist will be aware that the host may have put a lot of time and effort into promoting the show, and the host will remember that an artist may have significant travel expenses as a result of the booking.

This agreement should not be entered into lightly. Therefore, we put on our serious faces and sign below.

______________
artist

______________
host

Feel free to use this as a starting point to create your own, and please offer your feedback below if you have suggestions. — fran

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It’s amazing to me how some artists are so reluctant to host a house concert. Some of my best experiences come have come from it, and I consistently hear great stories from artists who reach outside of themselves to help other artists. Consequently, they are often surprised at how richly (though not necessarily financially) they are rewarded for their efforts.

Our host of the month is James Casto, a fabulous singer-songwriter who’s story will inspire someone to get going this month. Let me know if that person is you.

1. How did your house concerts come about?

[Casto] Desperation I needed a gig so I stopped by a local landscape nursery near my home that’s located on 6 acres. It’s a beautiful place with a big barn and lots of room. I thought it would be a cool place to perform. I walked in and told them a little about myself and mentioned the idea of hosting a songwriters show. They loved the idea. But instead of one show they said, “Why not do several?”

Well, that was the birth of our concerts. We did 15 at that location alone in 2007 and ended up producing about 30 total shows around the area in 2007. The added benefit was that I didn’t have to travel. I could do what I love with people I admired and never leave my neighborhood! Since then, we’ve expanded to another location and even started taking the shows to private farms in the area.

2. What’s been the key(s) to building and maintaining your audience?

[Casto] Several things: 1. Consistently bring in outstanding talent. I didn’t just want good songwriters, I wanted good songwriters that were also excellent performers. 2. Provide the audience and the performers with a unique experience.

Our shows are held outdoors in rural settings. I want people to say “wow” when they come to a show. We’re surrounded by beautiful landscape which lends itself to a full sensory experience. For the performers, I want to treat them like I want to be treated, i.e. pay them as much as possible, provide them with everything they need. I try to treat the performers and the audience as if they are the most important people in the world. Because they are, if I want to be successful.

3. Please share one of your favorite house concert moments so far…

[Casto] I would have to say it just happened on July 5th. We were playing on a farm and our backdrop has about a 10 view. I was joined by two successful Nashville songwriters. It was about 9:30pm and we were on our last round of songs. As soon as we started the last round, fireworks began exploding in the sky about 5 miles away. People stood up and actually started singing with us. We were doing a round of patriotic songs to celebrate the holiday. As the last performer hit their last note, the fireworks stopped. It was if we had arranged the whole thing. It was unbelievable and led to about a 3 minute standing ovation. Very powerful moment.

4. A little of your personal history would also be great…

[Casto] I was a drummer for most of my life and played in bands until I decided I was destined for poverty if I didn’t get an education. I finished up my undergrad degree, worked a job for a while and then got my MBA. I then had a successful corporate career, but was miserable. I loved writing songs and desperately wanted to pursue it more aggressively. So, in 2002 I left my corporate life and pursued some entrepreneurial projects which allowed me to dive into the songwriting scene in Atlanta and Nashville. It’s been difficult but great if you know what I mean.

5. As an artist, how has hosting benefited you?

[Casto] The greatest networking tool I’ve ever used has been hosting concerts. I’ve brought in hit songwriters that now want to write with me. One hit writer that is also a session vocalist in Nashville heard that I was recording a project and asked if he could do bgvs (”background vocals” for those of you outside of Nashville) for me. He offered to do it for free because he had such a great time at our concert. I’ve also gotten more gigs; both from people in the local community who attend the shows and from visiting performers. My professional circle has expanded greatly as a result of hosting concerts.

6. As an artist, you have a unique perspective and approach to mixing in modern, sometimes subtle Christian themes in your music. Do you see house concerts as a budding opportunity for Christian acts - especially those who are looking for new venues, but can’t stomach the idea of playing bars and nightclubs?

[Casto] Absolutely. I’m pretty sure house concerts are tremendously under-utilized by Christian musicians, but they need to understand that it might be the perfect audience for them. House concerts allow musicians to connect at a much intimate level than any other venue, including church. House concerts should be one of the top level pursuits for Christian musicians - and if they are already part of a church they have a huge advantage in getting booked. Just let the congregation know what you’re doing.

Listen to James here... and book him for a house concert.

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