Frequently Asked Questions:

Are these shows open to the public? They are private, invitation-only events. To get an invitation, contact us using our mailing list/contact page. Assuming space is available, we’ll send you an invitation. We request that everyone who plans on attending RSVP via email so we can get a handle on the number of people in the room.

How are invitations sent out? Our mailing list has grown to overwhelming proportions…over 600 email addresses. Since the capacity of our room stubbornly remains at about 85, we have had to dispense invitations in prioritized lots. Depending on how RSVPs come in, it’s entirely possible that certain house concerts will fill up with our long-time friends and supporters before we get a chance to send out invitations to our full email list. This is a relatively new development and this is how we’ve chosen to handle it.

How do I get there? The house is near the Clayton/University City border. When you email that you’ll be attending, we’ll email a set of detailed directions and instructions on where to park.

What does “suggested donation” mean? We are not a business. We don’t sell anything. We are music lovers who provide a place where like-minded people can hear quality music acts in a quiet, intimate setting and traveling musicians can get compensated for performing. It’s not required, but if anyone cares to contribute more than the asking amount, it all goes straight to the artist (thanks to those who have done this in the past). Every penny of this donated money goes to the performers.

How can I get tickets? There are no actual tickets (once again, we don’t sell anything)…we keep a list of people who have RSVPed at the door. We encourage people to donate in advance- we find that this cuts down on the number of no-shows and allows us to focus more on music and friends and less on counting money on the night of a show.

Our email invitations include instructions on how to make the suggested donation by check or by using paypal. As always, 100% of the money goes to the musicians.

What can I bring? We start off with a couple of cases of beer (thank you, Schlafly Brewery), but more is certainly welcome. Beyond that, feel free to bring whatever you care to add to the pot-luck food/drink spread. People have brought everything from chips & salsa to homemade spring rolls to White Castle burgers to brownies and everything in between. We feed the performers too, so don’t be shy. We always have plenty of coolers and ice available. You can also bring a little money to buy stuff from the bands; they usually sell (and sign) CDs, T-shirts, etc…and keep all of the cash.

Can I take pictures? So far, none of the musicians have objected. As long as you’re considerate and relatively inconspicuous about it, feel free to take pictures. Also, we appreciate people emailing us any good digital shots they get.

How did you start doing this? In July of 2005, Caitlin Cary and Thad Cockrell (and band) were in Wisconsin and (on five days’ notice) were looking for a St. Louis gig on a Sunday night on their way back home to Nashville. They couldn’t find a local club that would book a show on such short notice, but since their CD was our current favorite at the time, we offered up our family room (and free lodging) and the band accepted our modest offer. Not really knowing what we were doing, we hastily emailed a bunch of our friends, borrowed John’s PA system and the gig was on. About forty people showed up and the music was amazing. After that, we found that there was plenty of interest in these house concerts (from people wanting to attend as well as bands who want to play), so we’ve been hosting them on a monthly basis ever since. Little-by-little, we’ve fine-tuned some of the details, but that first magical evening ranks among our favorite of all of the shows we’ve hosted.

Are the neighbors OK with these house concerts? So far, so good. Sometimes they actually attend. The music usually can’t be heard from outside and it’s all over at a decent hour. We go out of our way to let our neighbors know when we’re having a show. We also instruct our guests where to park and encourage them to be respectful.

How can performers inquire about playing a house concert? We are not actively seeking artists to play at our house concerts at this time. We only host about ten of these shows a year, and we typically contact artists from a “wish list” we’ve been pursuing for some time.