host a hobbit house concert!

“If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.”

–Thorin Oakenshield

Hobbit House Concert

"I am looking for someone to share in an adventure that I am arranging…" –Gandalf the Grey

A couple years ago I started a songwriting adventure. I would write one song for every chapter in The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien. I am excited to say that I have completed the journey and am now looking for some folks to share in the adventure.

What is a Hobbit House Concert? It’s quite simple. It is folks gathering together in someone’s home for Food, Cheer, and Song. I’ll provide the songs, work with the host regarding food, and all of us can bring the cheer. That’s it!

Fellow Conspirators

“We are met together in the house of our friend and fellow conspirator…” –Thorin Oakenshield

I am looking for a few friends and fellow conspirators to help me put on these house concerts; Hosts willing to open their homes, turning their living rooms, basements, or backyards into an intimate concert venue.

As much as needed, I’ll personally work with the Host throughout the planning process. We’ll hammer out the details together, such as:

*Date and Time of the event

*Number of Guests 

*Food & Drink 

*Tickets, etc

*and anything else that should be talked about

If you would like to join my adventure and host a concert as a fellow conspirator, please contact me at deepermagicmusic@gmail.com or through my Facebook page!

If you are looking for more information or if you are still on the fence, take a gander through the FAQs below.

FAQs

What will it look like?

In general it looks pretty simple. Food, Cheer, and Song is our purpose. Me and my guitar, you and your friends; I’ll play all of my Hobbit songs in two sets while we eat and drink and be merry in your house. That’s the foundation, but we can build upon it any way you’d like. We could do a giveaway, hold contests, have a pot-luck, or even a five-course meal. Anything really. As long as food, cheer, and song are valued above hoarded gold, we’re good. (see below for pictures of past shows!)

Who provides the food & drink?

It depends, but as the host you will coordinate it. Maybe it’s a potluck and the cover charge is a covered dish? Maybe you want to plan a formal feast all on your own? A backyard BBQ? Finger foods? Pizza delivery? A fresh batch of cookies? Do something small or something big. It’s up to you. I recommend having a plan of what to do beforehand so that your guests will have an idea of what to expect. I can help with ideas, I can even bring a covered dish, but the decision regarding food and drink is ultimately up to you.

How much are you charging to play?

If you are local (in the KC area), I won’t be charging you anything. I will only take money that I make on selling CDs and/or whatever comes in on a donation basis, either through ticket pricing or a donation/tip box.

If you are outside of the Kansas City area we would need to discuss a few things so shoot me an email.

Tickets/Prices/Donated Funds

This is completely up to you, the Host. You could make this event entirely free for your guests, or if you want to offset the cost from any food/drink you provide then you might want to plan pricing accordingly. Any excess funds would be donated to the artist (that would be me…) or might be needed to replace any blunted knives or cracked plates (that’s what Bilbo Baggins hates). After all, the goal is to value food, cheer, and song above hoarded gold. If the concert is free or if funds aren’t specifically set aside to pay the artist (me), then I will bring along a “tip” jar or donation box. If you have further questions about this, send along an email (deepermagicmusic@gmail.com).

Who promotes the event and sends out the invites?

You, or both of us. It’s your house so the guest list is ultimately up to you. Is it a friends-only event? Open to your local community? Open to the general public? I will invite and promote according to your guest list expectations.

How many people should I invite?

That really depends on how many people you’d like in your house. Take a look at the space you have, whether you’d need to rearrange any furniture, think about 20 people in that space and add or subtract as you see fit. You can ask people to bring chairs or blankets or provide seating yourself. Don’t forget about parking…

*RSVP! My recommendation is to have your guests RSVP. This helps you with both space and for planning food. It also helps if privacy is a concern. This way you can give your address to only those who RSVP. I would recommend you first determine how many you can seat, invite more people than you can seat, and begin to fill spots in on a first response, first serve basis. Limited seating not only helps your planning, but it also gives your guests a little bit more of an incentive to fulfill their commitment to come. If your seating fills up and you have more people wishing to attend, you can put them on a waiting list. If the waiting list starts to fill, maybe we could host another show together! But all of that said, it’s your house, your rules.

Do I need to provide a sound system?

Nope. In an intimate setting like a living room there is no need for sound equipment. Just me and my guitar. If you want to provide a sound system, go for it. But it is not necessary.

Does it have to be in a house?

A Hobbit House Concert can be anywhere! Your backyard or front porch would work just fine. Even other venues such as a churches, meeting halls, coffee houses, bookstores, basically anywhere folk can gather! Even in a barn. I lived in a barn once...true story.

As you can see there is a lot of flexibility! I simply wanted to provide a way for me to share these songs with you and your friends in a warm, friendly environment and in a relatively easy way. The goal is to value food, cheer, and song above horded gold. If we can do that together then the Hobbit House Concert will be a success. Will you share in my adventure and join me as a fellow conspirator?

Again, if you would like to host as a fellow conspirator, or if you have any other questions please contact me at deepermagicmusic@gmail.com or through my Facebook page. 

Pictures from past Hobbit House Concerts!