I'll be going to a house show later this month, and as I was reading here, realized I'm more excited about that one that some of the other "big" shows I'm going to this summer.
Rad! Best show I’ve seen in a long while was the Cindy Crawford Cult show (I posted a picture in the article of him with a link to his Instagram, and the content he puts there is great). https://www.instagram.com/cccrawfordcult/
I don’t think the show would have been nearly as cool and memorable anywhere else.
I kinda endorse this idea. The bands I'm in probably won't 'fit' there; but I see a lot of younger bands doing this and making strides in places like Bowling Green, OH. In larger cities, however; house show scenes become very cliquish very fast, and they tend not to grow like scenes that have independent venues.
Yeah, I 100% understand where you are coming from on the "neighbors and cops" thing. I have hosted a couple of shows in Chicago (city, not suburbs), BUT we have super cool neighbors, and it's been low amplification (no need for earplugs unless you are cautious). I fantasize about seeing the heaviest band I can imagine using a space like my flat, where I hosted those shows in a Nirvana-unplugged way. Still, I also understand many of those bands would have zero interest in doing that! There are way more possibilities in the burbs and rural areas where space is more plentiful.
We just threw a free show on our porch during our neighborhood’s first Friday and it was pure low pressure joy. I used to do these in my garage in Philly a decade ago, and it felt just as good as it did then. Highly recommend.
Thanks for this, Joel. I've long been interested in playing in alternative spaces that aren't the usual bars or clubs, but it's a challenge to find appropriate spaces. Hopefully, folks will start to open their homes more often for shows.
Here in Albuquerque, we have plenty of venues to play, but they tend to be breweries where the band is often reduced to background music (even some of the best in town). I'm on the hunt for new spaces and will keep an eye on your app for options (my home is way too small to host a show + we have two dogs).
Thanks for reading and commenting, Dave. I know precisely the kind of spaces you are talking about. Those are tough gigs, and building a following around them is undoubtedly challenging. Davis has a brewery that hosts bands on a patio from time to time. It is a similar situation. People don’t come for the band; they come to drink and have a live band instead of a radio in the background. I am glad this exists because it is better than nothing, but it’s not moving the needle much concerning the issues in the article. Hopefully, we can increase the number of house shows in both places someday! Do you know @Kiley Larsen with @mamaManaña records in Santa Fe? He is hosting some fantastic events that I hope to attend someday!
Yes, I met Kiley at a daylong local festival he put on recently. He's a great guy. I plan to be in touch with him about Santa Fe dates once some holds on our calendar get cleared up.
BTW, I downloaded the CC app and it closes as soon as I open it. It open, displays for just a second, and then closes right away. I made a note to check it out again in a couple of weeks.
This is the way.
I'll be going to a house show later this month, and as I was reading here, realized I'm more excited about that one that some of the other "big" shows I'm going to this summer.
Rad! Best show I’ve seen in a long while was the Cindy Crawford Cult show (I posted a picture in the article of him with a link to his Instagram, and the content he puts there is great). https://www.instagram.com/cccrawfordcult/
I don’t think the show would have been nearly as cool and memorable anywhere else.
Thanks for reading and commenting!
I kinda endorse this idea. The bands I'm in probably won't 'fit' there; but I see a lot of younger bands doing this and making strides in places like Bowling Green, OH. In larger cities, however; house show scenes become very cliquish very fast, and they tend not to grow like scenes that have independent venues.
There's also the "neighbors and cops" thing.
Yeah, I 100% understand where you are coming from on the "neighbors and cops" thing. I have hosted a couple of shows in Chicago (city, not suburbs), BUT we have super cool neighbors, and it's been low amplification (no need for earplugs unless you are cautious). I fantasize about seeing the heaviest band I can imagine using a space like my flat, where I hosted those shows in a Nirvana-unplugged way. Still, I also understand many of those bands would have zero interest in doing that! There are way more possibilities in the burbs and rural areas where space is more plentiful.
Thx for giving it a read! ~joel
We just threw a free show on our porch during our neighborhood’s first Friday and it was pure low pressure joy. I used to do these in my garage in Philly a decade ago, and it felt just as good as it did then. Highly recommend.
Thanks for "fighting the good fight"! :)
Thanks for this, Joel. I've long been interested in playing in alternative spaces that aren't the usual bars or clubs, but it's a challenge to find appropriate spaces. Hopefully, folks will start to open their homes more often for shows.
Here in Albuquerque, we have plenty of venues to play, but they tend to be breweries where the band is often reduced to background music (even some of the best in town). I'm on the hunt for new spaces and will keep an eye on your app for options (my home is way too small to host a show + we have two dogs).
Thanks for reading and commenting, Dave. I know precisely the kind of spaces you are talking about. Those are tough gigs, and building a following around them is undoubtedly challenging. Davis has a brewery that hosts bands on a patio from time to time. It is a similar situation. People don’t come for the band; they come to drink and have a live band instead of a radio in the background. I am glad this exists because it is better than nothing, but it’s not moving the needle much concerning the issues in the article. Hopefully, we can increase the number of house shows in both places someday! Do you know @Kiley Larsen with @mamaManaña records in Santa Fe? He is hosting some fantastic events that I hope to attend someday!
Yes, I met Kiley at a daylong local festival he put on recently. He's a great guy. I plan to be in touch with him about Santa Fe dates once some holds on our calendar get cleared up.
BTW, I downloaded the CC app and it closes as soon as I open it. It open, displays for just a second, and then closes right away. I made a note to check it out again in a couple of weeks.
Re: Kiley, rad.
Re: App. Thanks for the heads up on that. I will tell Ted. It is working on my phone.
Do you have android or apple?
Android with OS updated to the current version. Google Pixel 6a.
Thanks!