House concerts are our favorite type of show. Whether on tour or close to home, we try to fill our schedule up with as many house concerts as possible.

What is a house concert?

It’s in the name! A concert… in someone’s house, usually involving: a living room, your friends, some couches, maybe some seats, space on the floor for people to sit, snacks, and music! Of course, there’s got to be music! That’s the part we’re good for. Even more, for us a house concert is cozy, intimate, and a great opportunity for us to connect with new fans. They’re the best.

Would you like to host a house concert?

If your answer is already a resounding “YES!”, then

But we’re guessing you probably have a few more questions. Like…

How big does my house need to be?

The size of your house is not a problem, and doesn’t need to detract from having a concert in your home. Cozy is great. A small living room will suffice. We have performed house concerts in a 12 by 12 room with 15 people present. We’ve also done lots of house concerts in backyards, so if you have more ample space outside, we can try that, too!

How many people should come?

There is absolutely no pressure to get hundreds of people to cram into your living room! We’ve played house shows as small as 15 people, and as large as 50 people. The great thing about house shows is they give listeners an opportunity to see us in a small, intimate setting. All we ask is that you send out personal invitations to whoever you think would like to come, and use the optional Eventbrite (that we’ll make) to get some good folks over for the evening to hear us play!

**THE RULE OF 50%**
How many folks should you invite? It seems that there is a universal Rule of 50%. Trial and error has taught us that approximately 50% of the people you invite will actually come to the concert! Invite 40 people – expect 20 to come out. Invite 70 people – expect 35. Strange I know, but our experience has shown it time and again. We encourage you to bare this in mind as you put together a guest list.

How much does a house concert cost?

Our booking fee for a house concert is $400; however, it’s likely that it won’t cost you that much.

Here’s how it works: All of the ticket sales/donations go toward this booking fee. So, if you get 20 people to come and they all pay a $20 ticket/donation, you don’t pay a penny! If 15 people come, paying $20, you’ll pay the difference of $100, so on & so forth.

Some folks choose to pay the full concert fee and invite their friends to come to a free concert. That’s fine, too. It’s totally up to you.

We are happy to set up an Eventbrite page with all the details that will allow your community to reserve their spot up front & pay ahead of time! At the concert, we ask that you have a donation jar out, and that you announce where it is and encourage folks to offer support in that way.

What if I don’t want strangers to come to my house?

No problem! Each house concert is going to be unique to the home and host. The event can stay completely private. If you’d prefer the event to remain private, your Facebook event can be set as “Private”, and we will not invite fans via our website or emails. We will add “Private House Show” to our schedule, and if a fan asks if they can come, we will ask your permission first!

How long will the performance last?

We will likely need to arrive at your house an hour or so before people start coming so we can set up our little sound system and merchandise. We recommend that you invite people to come a half hour or so before the music starts. This gives folks a chance to settle in and say hello to people they may know at your house.

The actual performance will last between 1 and 1 1/2 hours, depending on your preference.

After the performance, we anticipate another half hour or so of people mingling, chatting with us, and purchasing CDs, t-shirts, and other things we offer for listeners to support our work. Then we pack up our gear and ship off!

What if I’m looking to throw a house party, with you guys playing music in the background?

We love a good house party, but that’s a little bit different than what we are writing about here. Our hope with a house concert is that folks are listening, engaged, & that the music is the central focus of the event, just as if you were going to an actual concert. So, if you were looking to have an event where people are socializing while we are providing background music, then this is likely not the right fit.

What do you want out of this, Ash & Eric?

We absolutely love intimate concert settings. So often on tour, we play in bars or clubs where people aren’t focused on the music, and our performance is secondary to the socializing that’s happening in the room. It’s such a drag! We set out to write and perform songs because we wanted to connect with people in a meaningful way. We have found that house concerts are a valuable outlet for us to have time to talk about our music and let listeners really engage with us as people. Most importantly, they are part of what builds us up as artists, and keeps us loving what we do!

Okay, I’m ready to host a house concert!
How do we make it happen?

Then we’ll email you ASAP to discuss more details and get a date all squared away!

We’re so excited that you’re excited about a house concert. There’s something incredibly special about these concerts, and we’re thrilled that you’re game.

See you in the living room real soon, we hope.

// Ash & Eric