House Concert - Logistics

Logistics

Typically, the audience capacity for a house concert is smaller than at a coffeehouse or club. Some concert spaces may hold 200 people, or 40, yet some hold about two dozen.

Generally tickets are not sold in advance, but cash is collected at the show. Sometimes, the money collected goes straight to the performers, with no "profit motive" on the presenter's part. However, at other times, the purpose of the show is to collect money to pay for rent, or is paid by a donation. In fact, calling it a donation may prevent zoning issues that a host is operating a business such as a cabaret illegally or without a license.

House concerts are conducted "by invitation" (for practical reasons), social media such as Twitter or Facebook, or word of mouth, rather than as "public" concerts like a club or concert hall. However, in smaller towns and cities, the local media may help publicize such a concert. In an academic study on the cataloging of concert event ephemera, one of the only two flyers studied that did not have a publicized venue was for a house concert, the other being obscure.

Traditionally, there is little or no sound system, so performers may play and sing acoustically, or perform or act without a microphone. Since at least the 1970s, however, extension cords and other equipment innovations have enabled such performers to hook into a sound system, either inside or outside a house. Nonetheless, the musicians "use just enough equipment to make for a complete experience without being too loud for the neighbors."

Refreshments, if any, are usually either a "pot luck" brought by the listeners, or provided by the hosts using a bit of the gate receipts. Sometimes, the performers get a meal and/or lodging with the presenters as part of their compensation.

Most house concerts are "one-shots", but others are presented as a series, for example, every two to eight weeks over a "season", of anywhere from six to twelve months. Some lesser-known musicians may go on tour with gigs consisting primarily of house concerts. Even notable musical acts, such as Sirsy, may schedule "private party" gigs while on tour.

A true "house concert" today needs to be distinguished from a smaller musical ensemble, recital at a high school, or modern chamber music concert, which may sometimes be called a "house show" or "house concert".