Concerts made cozy at house shows

Jesse Adcock
Contributing Writer

House shows transform living rooms into stages, clearing out furniture to make space for dozens of people to enjoy an informal show from local and touring artists.

“A house show is usually run by musicians, friends getting together reaching out into the community usually by locals,” said Forrest Hesson, artist and organizer in the Richmond house show scene.

Artists are given a chance to experiment at house shows, Hesson said. With no stage dividing the performers from the audience, an artist can get an idea for how people feel about their music in an intimate environment. Artists are given a chance to mature and to take their art from the conceptual stage to performance.

“We’re more motivated to keep creating by taking our art public,” said Callie Addison, a guitarist in local band the Smirks.

Alexa Taveras, lead vocalist and bassist for the Smirks, said house shows give new artists like them a chance to grow through informal contacts. For that reason, arrangements often fall through.

She said a house show is a low-stress environment, because most people are “drunk and welcoming.”

“It’s kind of like this perfect situation. You can be whatever you want to be, with a bunch of other people,” said Kyle Rudd, an avid house shower attendee and performer.

At a house show it’s usually assumed that everyone is welcome, he said.

“The best way to describe it is sweaty. Plus, various beers and boxed wine. And the music might be hit or miss. It can still be a fun time if you allow it to be,” said Aaron Brown, who performs under the name Alfred.

Brown said there’s always audience members who will return the energy he puts into a show. He said the audience is usually split into those who are there to socialize and those there for the music.

“From Lombardy to Cary to The Fan to the front of Jackson Ward. People come in off the street sharing body heat,” said Robalu Gibsun, member of the Richmond hip-hop collective IamI.

House shows are advertised via Instagram, word of mouth and people wandering in off the street, Gibsun said. Many of the regular house show hosts work together and share equipment for each performance.

“If stuff gets broken, it’s on you. It’s hard to get that money back,” Hesson said.

Having lent his equipment to past hosts, Hesson laments that most show-goers are belligerently drunk or on mind-altering substances, all while surrounded by thousands of dollars of equipment.

Needless to say, something is bound to get broken.

Eduardo Colmenares, who performs under the name Scumlord, says throwing a show is chaotic and stressful, but rewarding. Some artists don’t want to go first, some don’t want to go last. Performances also often get cut off when the police come responding to noise complaints.

Organizers struggle not to step on anyone’s toes. At the same time, that much traffic through a house and theft is always a concern for the owner, he Colmenares said.

As an artist in the house show scene, performer Swan Lingo warns that by just playing house shows artists can wear their names out and stop their own growth. The same acts performing for the same people in the familiar locations can wash artists out, and turn house shows into house parties. It becomes less about the music, he said.

“It’s hard to stay in Richmond as a musician. I mean the people are good, but it’s hard to sell your merch. So people go touring,” Lingo said.

Touring acts keep the DIY scene fresh, Hesson said. He cites singer-songwriter Lucy Dacus as a prime example. Dacus started playing house shows in Richmond and just launched a nationwide tour. House shows offer artists a step up, to get their name out there and experience performing.

“House shows are very real, very raw. If you go to a frat it’s the most fake experience. You go to a house show, its real. It’s an experience,” said Wes Smithers, member of the band Keep.