Not to be confused with the punk and hardcore-oriented DIY house shows, living room concerts are acoustic-oriented affairs with audiences that seek a quieter, more intimate live music experience than typically found in bars and clubs. Hence the name of venues that cater to these audiences, listening rooms, and the title of the multi-day event that brings a range of artists to private house concerts around the area in April — the Florida Listening Room Festival (FLiRF). The Listening Room Festival was founded and organized by singer-songwriter Fran Snyder, also the music entrepreneur behind ConcertsInYourHome.com, and in its third year, he introduces Office Concerts, a brand new performance concept held in conjunction with the 2014 fest.
Last Friday, March 7, the CL staff was treated to an Office Concert performance by Ditchflowers primary Ed Woltil, who’d just released his debut solo outing of warm and easy pop-and-folk-oriented rock tunes, Paper Boats. Woltil strummed and plucked melodies on acoustic guitar, his strong, lightly husky vocal quality reminiscent of George Harrison with a touch of Sondre Lerche sweetness as he shared anecdotes about his material and serenaded around a dozen of us with new tunes and old, like the math-meets-life ode “Algebra” and a few Ditchflowers cuts. He closed with a ditty by one of his early bands, Drive Thru Church. “I almost didn’t finish this song,” he commented about the nonsensical tune, “but it sprang out of my head and I had to get it out of my system.”
On the whole, his performance was a rather pleasant interlude that made the rest of the day fly by and didn’t take anyone away from their desks for too long. According to Snyder, who accompanied Woltil on this day and introduced his short set, the Office Concert series brings music to people “who might have checked out of the local music scene, and builds some excitement about stuff that’s happening right here in their home town.” It’s also another way for Snyder to meet new and untapped audiences and hosts, who maybe never even knew living room concerts existed.
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House concerts are, by definition, private events. For the artists, they're a budget-conscious alternative to the typical touring grind; hosts provide a place to sleep, a meal or a few, a stage (their home) and an audience, usually friends, family, neighbors and the like, while the admission is a donation that goes directly to the artists. House concerts also make for a more enriching performance experience overall — the artists make more than they would at a bar or club, save on expenses (for gas, lodging and food), and enjoy extra time to kick around in whatever city they're playing, not to mention getting in front of more attentive and engaged audiences. “It's rare to experience that sort of visceral reaction, to feel the connection you do at a house concert,” Snyder shared when the series first launched a few years ago. “You don't get that in a club."
For the hosts, it’s a chance to support a struggling artist who's been vetted by a reputable source (Snyder and his small LRC quality control team), form a deeper and more personal connection with an artist they may already dig, and present a live music event right from the comforts of their own homes.
Featured artists of the 2014 Listening Room Festival were selected via an international competition last summer and include Bay area-grown acoustic fingerstyle wizard Shaun Hopper, Atlanta folk pop songstress Rebecca Loebe (who enjoyed her 15 minutes of national fame on the first season of The Voice), Victoria BC country-roots music duo Carli and Julie Kennedy, and alternative singer-songwriter Mieka Pauley, a Starbucks ‘Emerging Artist of the Year’ who’s due to perform at the Creative Loafing's second Office Concert on Fri., April 4, in conjunction with the Florida Listening Room Festival.
Local businesses and companies can book a 35-minute concert by a FLiRF performer for up to 40 employees during the run of the fest, which takes place April 1-7, 2014. To find out how, CLICK HERE, or contact Fran Snyder direct (phone, 727-280-6208 or e-mail, Fran@ListeningRoomNetwork.com). Proceeds from these concerts benefit the St. Petersburg Arts Alliance and sponsor performances for area charities and schools.
You can also check out FLiRF concerts taking place in your area at LivingRoomFestival.com. If you find one you’d like to attend, email the host, introduce yourself, and start a dialogue; if all goes well, you might get an invitation. Or you can sign up to be a host (it’s free), connect to other network hosts, get access to a database of house concert performers, and organize a house concert of your own. You can also check out FLiRF artists at the FLiRF public showcase concert at Palladium Theater on Sun., April 6, 6:30 p.m.; proceeds from the $18 admission also benefit the St. Petersburg Arts Alliance. All the aforementioned featured artists perform, along with folk trio The Currys and 2012 Independent Music Award VoxPop Winner Kira Small, from Tennessee.