Kim Taylor’s Playing at Your House?

Artists today are constantly looking for new and different ways to present their music to the world, many embracing the D.I.Y. approach amidst the ruins of a crumbling music industry and the decline of the U.S. economy overall. But well before the recession, Folk artists and other singer/songwriters discovered an interesting way of touring that offers fans a truly intimate experience — the “house concert.” While far from a new phenomena, streamlining the logistics of touring by playing at the home of a fan has become increasingly popular of late. This summer, Cincinnati singer/songwriter Kim Taylor is planning a “house concert” tour and she’s currently searching for abodes in which to perform.

The spirit of the house concert has been around for decades in everything from Country jamborees to Hip Hop block parties to Punk Rock basement shows.

But in the past decade or so, singer/songwriters have been using the concept to connect more directly with their fans, many today even offering house concerts as a perk for supporters donating money to fund album projects. The artists range from up-and-comers to more established performers like Jill Sobule and Pat Dinizio (of The Smithereens).

While it has undoubtedly happened, the concerts aren’t some sort of creepy one-on-one thing with a musician’s biggest fan. Those fans are expected to help promote the shows and make sure there’s an audience when the artist arrives (the performer makes money from either ticket sales or donations at the show). The fan gets a truly unique experience and the artist gets to tour without worrying about things like sound (shows are usually acoustic), promotion and the prospect of playing to either an empty venue or one full of uninterested patrons. The practice has become so popular, there are now Web sites dedicated to helping artists book house concert tours.

Taylor is planning on starting her house concert trek in late May, playing homes from Ohio to the east coast, followed by another leg of touring in July for those in other parts of the country. If you’re interested in hosting a Kim Taylor concert under your roof, contact her management at creamermgt@gmail.com.

For more on Kim Taylor, visit her Web site here.