House Concerts
A Very Fun(ny) Evening
Monday, May 18th, 2009 | House Concerts | No Comments
Kacey Jones is a very funny woman. On Saturday (May 16), she had us rolling on the floor with laughter. With song titles like “I Want to Be Upfront Like Dolly,” “I Miss My Man (But My Aim’s Getting Better) and “1-900-Bubba,” I knew we were in for a fun evening.
Kacey’s brand of humor was perfect for the cozy, intimate atmosphere we had for the concert. Kacey was very polished, yet very informal. We heard stories, we had conversations, and most of all, we laughed. Some of the biggest laughs came when Kacey sang, “I Could Get Over Him If ICould Get Under You,” and “The Red-Headed Man Who Would Not Move.”
Another hilarious moment was when Kacey interrupted a song to “attack” Ed Witman for making noise with his water bottle. Of course, Ed was rewarded later when he won the Best Cowboy Hat Contest and received an autographed copy of Kacey’s latest CD, “Donald Trump’s Hair.”
Along with the laughter, Kacey mixed in a few serious songs, including a few from her tribute album to Mickey Newberry. The most poingnant moment of the night (at least for me) came when Kacey sang Mickey Newberry’s “Amen for Old Friends” and dedicated it to Jack Putnam and Diane (Cone) McSwan, two of our “old friends” who passed away in the last month. Goodbye, old friends. We’ll miss you.
Thanks to everyone who attended and a special “thank you” to those who brought food or drink to share. We had a great time.
May 16 — Cowboy Hat Night
Sunday, May 3rd, 2009 | House Concerts | No Comments
The Saturday, May 16 concert with Kacey Jones at Boro House Concerts will be our first ever Cowboy Hat Night. Everyone attending the concert is encouraged to wear their favorite cowboy hat. The best looking cowboy hat in the house (as determined by Kacey) will receive a copy of Kacey’s new CD “Donald Trump’s Hair.”
So plan to attend the Kacey Jones concert on May 16 and wear your favorite cowboy hat. It might just win you a prize.
What Are People Saying About Kacey Jones?
Sunday, May 3rd, 2009 | House Concerts | No Comments
People are talking about Kacey Jones, and here’s what they have to say:
“The zany and brilliant singer-songwriter, Kacey Jones, has another gem to her credit. Donald Trump’s Hair will be released nationally in May on IGO Records. Try listening to The Redheaded Man Who Would Not Move or That’s Why I Keep Him without laughing out loud. Christmas in Rehab may just become a new holiday tradition, while God Save the Queens blends a driving beat with clever lyrics to pay homage to drag queens.”
——Roderick Harrington / El Dorado News-Times / 3/20/09“Kacey Jones is one of the brightest musical humorists in America. Stand-out tracks on her new album are “I Wanna Be Up Front Like Dolly” and “Whatever Happened to Kenny Rogers’ Face.” Yuk, yuk, yuk!”
—-Brad Fischer / Nashville Music Guide - 4/6/09“Humor in music is nothing new however, when you mix in wit and underlying sarcasm, it adds a whole new depth to it, and Kacey Jones is one of the best at adding this type of subtlety to her humorous music. Her new album, “Donald Trump’s Hair,” sees her raspy voice wrapping around a variety of musical styles that walk the border from country to lounge styled jazz. On the debut single, “I Want To Be Up Front Like Dolly,” Jones sings in praise of Dolly’s personality but is really only throwing you for a loop as she leads you into a song about Dolly’s “assets.” With no subject too big to tackle, this is one of those albums where if you get the humor…you are going to love it!”
—–Jeff Kurtis /Today’s Country Music Magazine - 3/16/09
Join us on Saturday May 16 and enjoy Kacey Jones’ unique brand of music and humor. It’s guaranteed to be a good time.
An Evening with Kacey Jones
Friday, April 24th, 2009 | House Concerts | 1 Comment
We are excited to welcome Kacey Jones to the BHC stage (such as it is) on Saturday, May 16. Kacey is a fantastic performer who is both a singer/songwriter and a comedian who has received rave reviews for her songs and performances.
According to Kacey’s bio:
“Audiences have been laughing with Kacey Jones for decades. She’s been laughed at outside the Nashville city limits by the likes of People Magazine, USA Today, GAC & CMT Television, and on National Public Radio as Garrison Keillor’s guest on “A Prairie Home Companion.” With KACEY JONES there’s a lot to laugh about.
Her new CD, “Donald Trump’s Hair,” is the hilarious follow-up to her previous comedy album, “Nipples to the Wind.” Scheduled for national release in May, 2009, “Donald Trump’s Hair” contains fifteen tracks, including thirteen new songs written or co-written by Jones. The debut single, “I Wanna Be Up Front Like Dolly” will be featured in the April 2009 edition of Country Weekly Magazine. Her newest creation is ‘stacked’ with clever appeal, establishing the vocal talent and comedy genius caught in the grooves.
In the hard work-a-day world of carving a national name as one of the brightest musical humorists to break through in years, Kacey Jones is used to breaking the mold. Singer, songwriter, musician, producer, publisher…all distinct descriptions that fit a unique piece of this puzzle. When completely assembled, the one that emerges is of a delightful, born and bred in the San Francisco Bay Area, madcap redhead who sees the world at large with laser perception and a funny tilt.
“I’m a singer-songwriter-musician first,” says Jones, “I enjoy making people laugh in the tradition of musical humorists such as Tom Lehrer, Mae West, Roger Miller, Dan Hicks, Jerry Reed, and Sophie Tucker.” I also enjoy a good ballad…that’s why I recorded my tribute to Mickey Newbury.” (Kacey Jones Sings Mickey Newbury – IGO Records, 2006). Jones’ interpretation of Newbury’s beautiful, melancholy songs achieved critical worldwide acclaim. She even enlisted Newbury’s close friend, Kris Kristofferson, to play a cameo role in her music video, SanFrancisco Mabel Joy. “I love when people laugh so hard at my funny songs that tears roll down their cheeks,” says Kacey, “I also love to see their eyes well up when I sing a ballad that reminds them of someone or something they’ve loved or lost. Tears of laughter, tears of sorrow…they’re all good. They let us know we’re alive.”
If it all seems off the wall, it’s totally sane in the world of Kacey Jones. Hers was, after all, the brilliant mind that conceived one of Nashville’s most unique and revered cult acts, the all-girl group, “Ethel and The Shameless Hussies,” who broke above the waves in the late 80’s to mainstream nominations as “Comedy Act of the Year” on MCA Records. As lead singer and lead comedy writer, Kacey put the Shameless Hussies on America’s national radar.
In 1997 Kacey signed with Curb Records and recorded one of the few original music-with-comedy-albums ever released by a female artist in Nashville. “Men Are Some of My Favorite People,” considered a classic by collectors, yielded two music videos, “1-900-Bubba” and “I Hate Your Lousy, Rotten, Stinkin’ Guts But, I’m Not Bitter.”
Further proving that her talents could produce more than just a few good laughs, Kacey entered the studio with legendary cult artist, Kinky Friedman, only to emerge as the producer of his critically acclaimed project, “Pearls in the Snow.” Featuring Willie Nelson, Dwight Yoakam, Tom Waits, Lyle Lovett, Delbert McClinton and others, the album reached the # 1 spot on the Americana radio chart in 1999. In 2000 Kacey and Delbert McClinton recorded the duet, “You’re The Reason Our Kids are Ugly.” The single and video stayed at the top of the European country chart (#1) for nine weeks.
Movies were next to fall under her spell. Kacey contributed three original songs to the soundtrack of the multi-award-winning cult film and TV series, “Sordid Lives” starring Beau Bridges, Olivia Newton-John, Delta Burke, and Leslie Jordan. Could Broadway be next? “Nipples To The Wind” has what it takes to get to Broadway…I look forward to that!” says Kacey.
Kacey is the “Official Songstress of The Sweet Potato Queens” an organization with 75,000 members worldwide, born out of six best-selling Sweet Potato Queen books (Simon & Schuster). She’s also a favorite of the “Red Hats” and has been a featured performer at their regional and state conferences. What’s next on her agenda? Heads-up, Donad Trump, you’re at the top of Kacey’s list!”
Join us on May 16 for an evening of music and comedy featuring the hilarious Kacey Jones.
JohnSmith in Wisconsin
Saturday, February 28th, 2009 | House Concerts | No Comments
JohnSmith
Last night I had the opportunity to host JohnSmith at the Greenman Music Hall inside the Viroqua Public Market. Wow! What a night.
Approximately 70 people showed up to listen to John and his former partner, Dan Sabranek. I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised by the turnout and I think it may have been the best JohnSmith concert I have attended to date (I’ve seen John play several times, both solo and with Dan).
The only glitch all night was the shortage of seating, which to be honest, wasn’t a bad problem to have. With the addition of a few tables and chairs, we were in good shape.
Thanks to John and Dan for a great evening of music. It was fantastic.
Also, John has taken over fundraising responsibilities for the PEG project, which builds schools in impovershed areas of Guatamala. If you are interested, see John’s site at www.JohnSmithMusic.com or go to www.PEGPartners.org. It’s a great organization and a great cause.
Next Up…Andrew McKnight
Wednesday, January 21st, 2009 | House Concerts | No Comments
Our next concert is scheduled for March 14 and we are proud to be hosting Virginia-based award-winning folk and Americana singer/songwriter Andrew McKnight.
Since permanently leaving his corporate environmental engineering career in 1996, Andrew’s musical journey has traced nearly half-a-million miles of blue highways and small towns nationwide, and earned him a wealth of critical acclaim and enthusiastic fan response for his five CDs and captivating performances.
Wherever and however Andrew takes the stage, audiences are at once spellbound and relaxed by his entertaining stories delivered with just the right touches of down home humor, causing one concertgoer to label him “equal parts Robert Frost, William Least Half-Moon and Jeff Foxworthy.
As always, the suggested donation is $15/person and you can RSVP to Lou AT BoroHouseConcerts.com.
Oh, What A Night!
Sunday, January 18th, 2009 | House Concerts | No Comments
I hate to say I told you so…but I told you so. I said that Jack Williams is one of the best singer/songwriters on the planet. I said he is a fantastic guitar player and a phenomenal performer. And for the people who came to last night’s Jack Williams concert, you found out that everything I said was true.
When Jack and Judy (Jack’s wife) arrived at the house, I was a little concerned. I knew Jack has been having some problems with his voice as of late, but when he got to the house, his voice was worse than I had anticipated. I needn’t have worried. With the help of some hot tea and honey, Jack fought through his voice problems and sounded just fine.
Of course, Jack’s guitar picking was not affected. As usual, Jack jumped from playing folk, blues, jazz, R&B, bluegrass, soul, and pop licks effortlessly. I can’t do justice describing Jack’s ability on the guitar, but if you were at the concert last night, you know what I mean.
Jack played several cuts off his new CD, “Don’t Let Go.” Jack was very focused on two upcoming events: the inauguration of Barack Obama and the celebration of Martin Luther King Day. Because Jack is southern born and bred (a product of South Carolina), he has a strong sense of relations between the races and it comes through in much of his music. Of course, the highlight of the evening was Jack’s finale; a 20 minute rambling, stream of consciousness song that spans genres, artists, eras, and often defies logic. The finale, and the entire evening for that matter, was a ton of fun.
Thanks to everyone who came to the show and a special thanks to everyone who brought food and/or drink to share. Thanks also to Jack and Judy for including Boro House Concerts on your schedule. You are both an absolute joy.
More About “Suggested Donations”
Friday, January 2nd, 2009 | House Concerts | No Comments
I’ve gotten a couple of questions about our “suggested donation” policy and I’d like to clarify a couple of things:
- A house concert is not a “party with a cover charge.” It is an opportunity to hear great music from a terrific musician in the comfort of someone’s living room. The host provides the space (and some food/drinks) and the guests chip in to pay for the musician.
- For our first two house concerts, I paid the musicians out of my own pocket in order to attract great performers while we built our audience. I also wanted to give our audience a feel for what a house concert is all about before asking for money.
- All of the money collected goes to the performer. The host doesn’t get any of the money.
- In my mind, a suggested donation is just that: suggested. My main goal in hosting house concerts is to share great music with friends (both old and new) in a comfortable environment. I’ll put out a can to collect donations. If you choose to donate, great. If you chose to donate more or less than the suggested donation, that’s okay too. Pay what you can afford and what you feel the concert is worth. To me, the most import thing is that you join us and share the evening with us.
- We love kids and if they are under 16, they are free. All we ask is that they are well behaved. We’d prefer that they listen to the music, but understand that some kids just aren’t interested. That’s okay. They can spend time up in our bonus room playing video games or watching a movie.
- Give it a try. If you haven’t been to a house concert yet, give it a try and see what you think. Don’t feel any pressure to donate until you’ve seen what the concert is all about.
If you have any questions, just let me know.
Getting to Know Jack Williams
Wednesday, December 31st, 2008 | House Concerts | No Comments
Jack Williams
Jack Williams is “one of the most talented and interesting singer songwriters we’ve had the good fortune to meet. It’s an absolute shock when you meet someone this talented who’s not famous; it only happens now and then. But in folk circles, Jack has become legendary and the legend is growing steadily.” –Frank Goodman, PureMusic.com
Fran Snyder is a musician and the driving force behind Concerts in Your Home, an organization dedicated to helping promote house concerts. Earlier this year, Fran had the opportunity to talk to singer/songwriter extraordinnaire Jack Williams about his 50 year career, the ups and downs of being a touring artist, and the house concert “phenomenon.”
“Jack Williams does 15 house concerts per week…
O.K. - Maybe I’m exaggerating a bit. However, it’s hard to find another artist who’s worked their way into hearts of so many house concert hosts, and who’s inspired so many to get started. I’m delighted to welcome Jack to the CIYH family, and couldn’r resist the opportunity to have him share his experience with our community. — Fran
1. This might be tough, but when/where was your first house concert? Any chance you’d remember how it came about?
I don’t remember my first house concert, how it came about or how it went. I’ve only been a part of the folk music community for 20 out of my 50 professional touring years, and there have been occasions, long before the current house concert movement, that I played my music in private homes for assembled friends, neighbors, families - and for pay.
I’m constantly amused by the fact that I often hear people speak of house concerts as being a “new thing” or “the latest trend.” In fact, it has been the quintessential “folk” music venue for centuries. My wife Judy found a great magazine photo from 1946, of Woody Guthrie and Leadbelly, seated side-by-side on stools, performing in a white, middle-class Kansas home, before an attentive gathering of friends, neighbors and families.
In the early 1800’s, musicians like Franz Schubert presented music in his “salon.” Around 1000 AD, the first Troubadours of what is now southern France roamed from city-state to city-state, with a lute and all of their belongings, staying at the pleasure of each court. I guess I’ve been doing “house concerts” for 50 years.
2. I know you do more than 50 house concerts per year. After that, what is your most common type of gig?
No bars at all anymore. Thirty years was enough, although I developed many “chops” on that circuit. Probably my next most common gigs are the “coffeehouse” concert series’, most often in rooms provided by music-friendly churches. By far, the majority of these are the U.U.’s, Unitys, and occasionally other more open-minded sects. I have not yet played a concert in a Southern Baptist church.
I play for a few festivals each year, but prefer smaller audiences. The festivals are basically “showcases” where a folkie may find further employment among the listeners. They’re also great places to cross paths with and spend time with other touring artist-friends.
3. What do you enjoy most about house concerts?
Itimacy. Up close and personal in a non-glitzy, non-show-biz way. What you see is what you get - usually unplugged. I love being able to look into the eyes of the listeners as I perform, and then talk with them at a break or afterwards. For a self-booked artist like myself and some of my collegues, the house concert circuit also provides a decent living for those of us without a “team” (manager, agent, publicist, cosmetician) which can provide more “high-end” gigs for its artists, in the large halls, before many thousands of paying customers - with the artist at a distance from their audience.
My performance approach changes, by necessity, when I’m on the festival stage. I have those skills, to “paint with a broader stroke” for a large, disconnected crowd, but I much prefer the more personal house concert setting.
4. Aside from putting on a great show, what’s been your most effective way of cultivating house concerts?
I wouldn’t call it a “way,” since it’s just part of my nature: I love the people in the folk community, and I’ve enjoyed meeting them in 46 states and 8 countries. My “way” then is the enjoyment of getting to know hosts personally, making the “business” a pleasure. Of course, there’s a strong grapevine on the house concert circuit which has served me - and other artists who favor this most personal of venues - extremely well.
Almost all of our hosts have been folks who are still enthusiastic about life, music, music-makers, and everything that lies above the cheesy realm of commercial media. Over the years, many have become dear friends with whom I share more than just an annual concert. I love this community. My wife, Judy, who has a PhD in immunology and who left the stagnant corporate-science world for life on the road, also loves this community. This has become our neighborhood.
5. The price of gas is influencing everybody’s bottom line, but is it affecting or changing your touring plans?
Yes, in a big and frightening way. I love my job and I’m now facing changes I don’t want to make. We’ll hang in there to see how we do, even though it’s a certainty that we’ll be earning less annually, unless I just play more often on each tour. The problem with this is that I’m approaching 65 and I don’t have what it takes to play 300 dates a year anymore. I don’t fly to gigs and I drive from 50,000 to 70,000 diesel-miles each year.
The options include “localizing,” that is playing only a short drive from home. This would be devastating to me, since part of the love for my job is getting to see every square inch of this country and to meet so many new people.
I also have far fewer venue-contacts in this region (NW Arkansas) which is still new to me - we bought a home here only three years ago. I enjoy teaching and do it frequently at retreats and festivals, and it may become a more important element in my work - teaching more locally, and booking more music workshops along with concerts. The final option is to stop touring. I’m in my prime and I’m having a ball. I’d rather stop breathing.
6. You’ve been a touring act for a long time…how do the past few years measure up for you? Is this the most challenging time you’ve ever seen for touring artists, or just a blip in the road?
I don’t really see it as any more or less challenging than any other time in my career. The past few years have been the best for me in my career - but that seems to have more to do with the fact that I’m just better at what I do now. I can’t speak for other touring artists, as to how challenging it is for them.
I think this is like any other job: “When I works, I works hard. When I plays, I plays hard. When I worries, I sleeps.” Artists who aren’t extraordinarily talented, lack originality in their presentation, lack diligence in booking/publicity-work, aren’t enthusiastic and effecient while hard-travelling or just don’t love their job, are going to face the toughest challenges. At this unfortunate time in U.S. history, though, one of the biggest challenges facing us all is the rising cost of fuel for touring. As for Judy and me, we’ll ride this pony until he falls down.
7. What’s the most common mistake that house concert presenters make?
Hmmmm. There are a few that come to mind, and it’s hard to say which is most common! It may be that some hosts operate under the misconception that their home-performance space must somehow be made to seem a “grander” venue. The building of stage, the assembling of extravagant lighting, the addition of a stadium-sized PA system, and the placing of the audience at a distance from the “stage” and from the artist - these are the things which can derail the most vital aspects of a house concert and diminish the intimacy.
First and foremost, it’s a concert in someone’s living space, not Carnegie Hall or Newport Folk Festival! Speaking for myself, I love that about it. I love it that people may be seated right under my feet, on the floor, on pillows and soft things. I love it that they may be scattered into adjacent rooms, sitting on the staircase, or dangling their feet from a loft. I love it that a simple floor or table lamp may be the only lighting. I love it that the audience isn’t seated in total darkness while multi-colored lights illuminate me and a (sometimes) unnecessary microphone. I love it that I’m standing or sitting not much higher than the audience’s heads, rather than on a stage which causes me to “loom” over the folks. I love it ’cause it ain’t show-biz!”
Jack Williams will be live and in concert at Boro House Concerts on Saturday, January 17. For questions or to RSVP, email us at Lou@BoroHouseConcerts.com
Jack Williams…LIVE!
Tuesday, December 30th, 2008 | House Concerts | No Comments
Jack Williams
Jack Williams will playing at the Boro Concert Crib (read: our living room) on Saturday, January 17. The festivities will begin at 7:00 pm with a social hour and the music will start at 8:00 pm.
I can’t tell you how excited I am to be hosting Jack Williams. He is one of the most accomplished singer/songwriters in the business. He is also one of the best guitar players on the planet. His career in music is the stuff they make movies about. He is a terrific talent and I couldn’t be more proud or excited to have him performing for us.
I took the following bio about Jack from his website. But believe me, it only scratches the surface when it comes to Jack’s career and his accomplishments as a performer. I’ll be posting more information in a day or two to give you even more insight into what Jack is all about. In the meantime, if you’d like to learn more about him, you can visit Jack’s website by clicking here.
As a guitarist, he accompanied Tom Paxton, Peter Yarrow, Mickey Newbury and Harry Nilsson. Invited onstage by Arlo Guthrie to sing a song, he then joined the group for the concert encores. He produced all of his own recordings plus CDs by Mickey Newbury, Eric Schwartz, Carla Ulbrich, The Malvinas, and Ronny Cox.
From 1958 through 1987, Jack was best-known as an electric guitarist in a series of original rock bands and smaller acoustic ensembles. In the late 60’s, he gave in to his troubadour nature and began performing solo - singing and playing a gut-string guitar and touring from coast to coast. Before beginning to write in 1970, Jack was inspired by the varied likes of Jesse Winchester, Josh White, Hank Williams, Johnny Mercer, and Ray Charles. When the spirit moves him today, songs from favorite writers spring readily from his lips and fingers.
As a hired-gun guitarist in the Deep South of the Civil Rights-Easy Rider 60’s, Jack worked shows with John Lee Hooker, Big Joe Turner, Jerry Butler, Z.Z. Hill, Hank Ballard and many others. During that era, his bands also backed up artists such as the Shirelles, the Del-Vikings, the Coasters, the Drifters, and the Platters.
Jack Williams’ music sparkles from all these influences – creating truly all-American southern music