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Dave Potts

How to host a house concert

What is a house concert?

• A house concert is a chance to hear live acoustic music in an intimate 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.

  Is it expensive to host house concert?

• No, the host of the house concert gets a free night of great entertainment. Each invited guest pays a donation, which goes to the artist. A typical donation for a house concert is $10-$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.

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

• House concert audiences run anywhere from 15-100 people. Generally, 25-30 people is a good size crowd to shoot for. If you think of friends, family and neighbors who might be interestd, 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, 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, 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 Dave, cheescake is always welcome!!)

  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's another thing that makes a house concert so much more enjoyable for the audience than going to a club. However, if a sound system is needed based on the house size or audience size, Dave will provide his own sound.

  Sounds great, how do I schedule a house concert?

• Dave is always interested in playing a house concert. E-mail him at dave@davepotts.com, or call (334)502-3942, 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.