"Burning Down the House" is Easier Than It Sounds

When we wrapped up last week by discussing critical concerns when setting up a DIY show, we didn’t seriously discuss the benefits of going this route (other than getting around pesky details such as liquor laws). It easy to understand why many musicians would turn their noses up at playing anywhere outside the bar/club circuit – especially since it probably took a good deal of time and networking to get on those bills in the first place. A record store probably makes a little sense, but the idea of playing at someone’s house probably sounds like a serious self-demotion. But the truth is that many artists of various genres have found the house-as-venue strategy to be vital to their success. It creates a sense of intimacy that extends far beyond the duration of the show. While you probably won’t have the same potential for exposure in terms of crowd-size, what you lose in quantity you make up for in potency. No one will be worrying about flagging down the bartender, no one will be distracted by seeing their ex-whatever there, and (ideally) no one will blackout drunk. In your efforts to turn ‘fans’ into ‘super-fans’ (people who will buy a lot of stuff from you over a long period of time), this is a power play. If done correctly, the audience won’t think of themselves as your fans or super-fans, they’ll think of themselves as ‘friends’. And what are friends for, if not giving you money?

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