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Arts Profile
Going Unplugged
with House Concerts
Bringing the music home
By Karen Secord
Sometimes simplicity trumps gadgetry. Forget the stage. Pass on the fancy lighting. Give the sound guy and
the tech crew the night off. Going unplugged creates an intimacy. Do it in someone’s home and instantly
you’ve removed the barrier between the musician and the audience.
“Playing in a living room allows us to really connect with the audience,” explains Hollis Morgan.
“Everyone has a front row seat. It brings the audience into the performance.”
House concerts are really nothing new. Musicians have been delivering their music in its purest form,
to small numbers of people, far longer than they have been performing in large venues with powerful hitech
sound systems. Parlour shows have a long history, and “kitchen parties” are still a favourite form of
weekend entertainment in many communities.
Due East Magazine • Page 20 • Fall 2008