The home concert "scene" caused me to get into a very heated debate with someone who was a very good friend at the time. Because of that debate we no longer speak. My question was this:

Are you SO desperate to just play ANYWHERE that you stoop so low to perform in someone's breezeway for 25 drunken people who are just a bunch of the host's friends that not only don't really know good from bad and but are also so rude that they sit in groups and chat the whole time you are playing?

In a time where we "pretty up" simple language in an attempt to make words sound like something far more "acceptable" than they are, is a "Home Concert" anything more than playing at someone's party? Like a "previously titled automobile" is nothing more than a used car, and a "home equity loan" is nothing more than a second mortgage or a "landscape contractor" is a guy who mows lawns for people like we did when we were kids?

Now, of course the other side of the sword is that this IS the music BUSINESS and if they are going to pay you 200 bucks to play that "home concert", more power to you. I can only speak for me, and "me" isn't doing this to pay my bills anymore, so $200 for a garage concert may be a great gig to those who do this full time. I just couldn't look my best friend in the eye and say "I played in a garage in a northeast Ohio suburb Saturday night. House of Blues and Hard Rock Cafe were both booked, so I took the garage gig."

(PS, my best friend is me.)

It's all moot though. It will never come up. It's just my opinion on it.

I am using the new 1040XTRAEZ form this year. It has just 2 lines.

1. How much did you make in 2023?
2. Send it to us.