Living Rooms Were Made For Live Music

My husband and I love the live music experience. Our relationship started with a shared passion for live music. We spent most of our early dates on the front row of what was then The Library on The Strip adjacent to the UT campus, listening to The Woodies play. Then we moved on to Atlanta and found ourselves listening to then unknowns like Mr. Crowe's Garden (later to become The Black Crowes) and Shawn Mullins (later to become better known Shawn Mullins, the guy who did "Lullaby") in places like Oxford Books and The Black Horse Tavern. All of these venues were small and you could be easily right up front, experiencing the music, seeing the fingers on the frets and sometimes being splashed with sweat.

Those front rows days have passed for us. But our desire to hear live music is still strong. And we have found a new way to get that live music experience in a way that fits out lifestyle better - house concerts. A house concert is a small, intimate live music performance in the comfort of a private home. House concerts are usually by invitation only so as to keep them intimate. Food and beverages are served and may even be potluck. The performers are hired to perform a few sets and in between sets they mingle with the guests and enjoy the party themselves.

We went to a house concert last week in a private home on the banks of the Potomac River. The featured performer was Pops Walker, an acoustic blues/folksman based in the Shenandoah River area. Pops' performance was very entertaining. He is drawn inward by his own music but his emotions play out the song all over his face. You are drawn right in with him. He was funny, ironic and soulful all at once. And a damn good guitar player.

Pops was joined in performance by Kipyn Martin, a fresh breeze of a person and a phenomenally talented young woman. Kipyn has a voice like butter, creamy and smooth. She herself is quite the guitar player and songwriter.

And when Pops and Kipyn played together, they complimented each other perfectly.

The concept and experience of a house concert is perfect. You get to see quality performances in a comfortable setting. You get to meet and talk with the performers and music lovers who are all really interesting people. The performers get a wholly appreciative audience and their undivided attention. Everybody shares great food and drink. What else could be better?

We are now house concert converts and are planning our own little event:

House Concert at the Scott's

Performer TBA

Date TBA

By invitation only

Until those details are hammered out, I'll leave you with a few more photos from our evening with Pops and Kipyn...