@eddie and Bob,

The home concert scene is something far different than being hired to play someone else's music.

It's almost always all originals and the point is not to be entertained by music you already know and will hear played marginally well by an o.k. local band. I've never understood that particular bent of folks to hear familiar songs played by unfamiliar people.

They are usually quiet, acoustic guitar/piano. Songwriters. They will make about the same from the entrance fees as they will from what they will selling their self-made CDs at the event. They might make a couple hundred bucks that night if they are lucky. They will not have beer spilled on them or their gear. They won't get their gear stolen at the venue. The room will be hushed as they play/perform. The people there will not talk loudly through the songs or clank silverware on plates. They will see someone be moved by their art and receive joy as a result. They people sitting in the chairs and on the couches are likely friends or friends of friends. Nobody will boo or hiss. They will probably crash on a couch at the home. They'll work on a new song and maybe record some scratch tracks in Garageband during the week. They will look quite bohemian, some from a false sense of what is fashionable, some from pure necessity. etc.

I much prefer it. I only have to know MY songs as a performer. Not saying that learning other's music is not worthwhile, but this is the aspect of the home concert that you are missing. If you are not a songwriter, it would be very hard to understand. As hard as it is for me to understand to have a 100+ song repertoire memorized, in each genre for which I might be hired to play. I'm pretty sure I couldn't cut it in that scene. Skillful performance is not my forte.

-Scott

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