Vivisecting Media

An Intimate Performance

This weekend I was invited over to my friend’s house to enjoy a “home concert”. The concept behind the event is that the host opens their home to friends and colleagues and invites musicians to perform a show in the home. For this evening we were entertained by an acoustical set by Subimage and The Great Auk.

The beauty behind home concerts is the intimacy between you and the musician. There is no need for amplification, no need to strain for the words, no need to decipher the expression of the performer. You are there in the same small room enjoying it with a small group of others.

This wasn’t the first home concert I had been too. Roger Linn has been putting on similar events for many years now. He opens his home to about 70 people (he has an amazing living/music room) and brings in some of the best musicians in the world that just happen to be in town for other shows. I was able to go with Josh, Chris and Reba and we saw the Robin Nolan Trio with Howard Alden. These gentlemen are considered some of the best jazz guitarist out there and sitting in a room with them was a truly humbling experience as a fellow guitarist and musician.

One comment that was made at the Subimage/Auk show was that these home concerts are a growing trend. I hope so, not because of a certain “musical elitism” that could be interpreted, but as an opportunity for both the artist and the listener to really experience each other. With the growth of mega-concerts and the drive of musicians to sell out bigger venues, this concerts goal is exactly opposite. It felt more like the time you spend sitting on a couch writing the material then it did as a show.

I am still a fan of the big shows, and I really want to see a lot more in the Bay Area. But I would love for more people (with the space) to put on these kinds of events. Its great for everyone and it helps promote sharing the musical experience.