We wanted to let you know a little more about our concerts.
We are Musicians Corner House Concerts. We are located in Newport, Minnesota (a suburb of St Paul, MN). We began hosting House Concerts in 2010. Our average attendance for 2019 was 45 people per show.
(2020 does not count although we did do two successful outdoor shows!)
In 2021 we did all outdoor concerts, and we had an average of 53 per show. We have five different homes in proximity that host concerts as a part of our series. Most of the homes we use have a capacity of 50. This allows us to spread out the work but more importantly each host has a different circle of friends so it has allowed us to expand our audience attendance so we can have nice crowds for our musicians.
THE NUTS AND BOLTS OF OUR CONCERTS
We usually book musicians for Fri/Sat or Sun as we have tried weekdays but the turnout is very small. We usually do a potluck dinner before our shows. It starts and hour before the show. We have found this gives a nice opportunity for our guests to meet some new folks and our musicians. Some of our musicians prefer not to eat prior to a concert so we always invite them to put together a plate of food that we will save for them for after the show.
We prefer to have two sets with a 15–20-minute intermission. This provides a nice opportunity for our musicians to sell merchandise and visit with guests.
THE FINANCIAL ARRANGEMENTS
Musicians keep 100% of all money. Because we are not a business, we are not allowed to collect ticket fees, but we do have a suggested donation of $20-$25. We check folks in at the door and have our donation basket there for them to pay up front. We will introduce our musicians and we do an additional plug for donations for our musicians. We will ask for money at the beginning of the concert, at intermission and at the end. We never touch the money in the basket as it all belongs to our musicians. We are happy to provide you with contact information from musicians who have played our series so you can get direct feedback on our series and what the artist have made financially. They have consistently told us they do very well financially playing our concert series.
THE AMENITIES WE PROVIDE
We do have a 4-channel sound system that many of our musicians have used. It is available if you would like to use it. Please let us know either way so we know if we need to have it set up.
We provide a bed and breakfast for our musicians. We also provide this service (for free) anytime a musician who has played our series comes to town and needs a place to stay.
If you are looking to book other shows in the area, we have a suggested list of venues that we have put together in cooperation with other venues. We will gladly provide you with our Midwest Host List.
THE COVID PROTOCOLS
1. For our outdoor shows this year we have no requirements
2. For our indoor shows we require proof of vaccination or a negative test within the past 48 hours.
3. We have hand sanitizer readily available.
(These protocols could change depending on any trends for better or worse with this dang virus)
Here are what some artists have to say about our Concert Series.
October, 2021 - "If you ever doubt that there are people who still care about live music, Musicians Corner will reassure you. My mid-October show was hosted by Jane and Pat Thiegs – two of the kindest people you’ll ever meet. Covid precautions obliged us to hold the show in the Thiegs’ gracious backyard. 40 guests braved the cold and gave me a rousing reception. There were bright stage lights, and fires and torches to keep us warm. Thanks to all at Musicians Corner, the evening was memorable – even magical." - Rupert Wates
March, 2020 - "Musicians Corner House Concerts are amazing house concert hosts - they have it down to an art! This was our second show with Musicians Corner, and we performed to a record-breaking crowd, the biggest they had had yet! It was such a treat. Their audience is made up of supportive music lovers, and any artist that gets the chance to perform at Musicians Corner should count themselves very lucky. We hope this is the second show of many with these incredible hosts!" - Twin Kennedy
January, 2020 - "Amazing Hosts, Top Notch awareness of what makes house concerts successful. Gracious and Kind. Thankful for them!" - Michael Shynes
January, 2020 - "We had a wonderful night at Pat and Jane's house. Dan and all the folks at Musician's Corner have put together a fine series which I would highly recommend to anyone passing through the area. We had a full house, a wonderful and appreciative audience and great hospitality. We hope to return!" - The Whispering Tree
October, 2019 - "Dan and Kathy have created a lovely space for both music makers and listeners. We were treated to a premier meal, an attentive and generous audience, plus great accommodations. MCHC are a group of friends who take turns hosting and it's a great way to spread out the work. Nicest people ever. We hope to return some day." - Missy Andersen & Her One Man Band
September, 2019 - "The MCHC series is the gold standard for House Concerts! Dan and crew of area hosts have this down! I was Tom and Laura's 1st concert as hosts and it was obvious that Dan prepared them very well. 60 attendees were tuned in and generous. The outdoor setting was a summer's night dream! I used my own sound. Great hospitality at the concert and Dan and Kathy were gracious hosts for my night's stay! So glad to be a part of this wonderful family of Minnesota music lovers! I look forward to next time!" - Bruce Mandel
June, 2019 - "Dan is a house concert pro!! Everyone involved in this series really knows what they're doing. We played for an attentive, generous and interested crowd. Everyone was extremely generous, and we had great conversation both before and after the show. The potluck was exceptional and overall we just had a really wonderful evening. Thank you so much for having us and we wish you the best of luck with future shows. <3 Sara and Kenny" - Sara and Kenny
April, 2019 - "These folks in the twin cities have figured out how to run a successful- long lasting- concert series! With Dan in the lead, an excellent collection of hosts, and a collaborative group effort in the booking process, they may have eliminated the "burn out" fatigue that comes when all of the responsibility is on a single host. Our show was held at Mike's home and he is just wonderful. Hospitality was top notch and we felt welcome from the moment we arrived. We give this series an A all around!" - Danika & The Jeb
August, 2018 - "Surely one of the finest places one can play: the hosts were lovely and the audience attentive and generous. The outdoor setup was beautiful." - Willy Welch
December, 2017 - "What a gift it was to play at Musicians Corner House concert series! This is a group of gracious and wonderful hosts who truly love music and enrich the lives of their community by bringing live music into their homes. The series rotates among a group of hosts who are good friends and they all did a fantastic job with promotion, stage lighting and sound. Joe, the MC, encouraged guests to support us through donations and our merch. So fortunate to be able to share an evening of music with them." - Mike & Carleen McCornack
June, 2017 - "A sign outside the Mathews' residence says 'All are welcome here', and it proves to be true. Dan has built a pool of local homeowners willing to host, rotating through the year. My own summer show took place in Emily and Ross's backyard. About 40 guests, of all ages, gave me a very warm reception as the sun sank behind the trees. Later Dan treated me to a session in his hot tub, and to a very good breakfast next day. It's a pleasure to know all the Mathews, and they'll make you welcome indeed." - Rupert Wates
May, 2016 - "What a great time I had performing in Dan and Kathy's home! They are music lovers, and bring music lovers to listen. The crowd was energetically wonderful to play for, Dan took all of the stress out of dealing with the money, and made sure to explain to the audience why he feels it important to support independent artists. The room set up was fantastic & cozy, the food was delicious and the hospitality comfortable. The setting up the details for the show was a dream. They're house concert pros!" - Kristen Graves
January, 2016 - "The Mathews family was a delight to spend time with. They packed the room full of engaged listeners who laughed with us all night. It was truly one of the biggest highlights of my tour. They listened hard. All guests donated and bought merch very generously. The show area has a lovely fireplace and upright piano, which set the perfect mood. My percussionist Luke and I were offered beautiful guest rooms. We couldn't have asked for a nicer evening!" - Chris DuPont
September, 2014 - "Dan and Kathy have a very musical family and they care about musicians. Dan cooks one of the best barbecues I've ever eaten! Afterwards we all made ourselves comfortable in the downstairs room. The guests were very engaged and attentive and encouraged me to play anything I liked. It was a relaxed yet memorable evening and thanks to Dan and Kathy's generosity, a treat for us all." - Rupert Wates
July, 2014 - "This is our second time to this House Concert venue. We love the hosts, Dan and Kathy, and had a great Wednesday night crowd in their cozy space. We would definitely recommend this to other artists. It's a wonderful listening audience and we were happy to see friends we had made last year who came again. Thanks for making us feel at home." - Adler & Hearne
June, 2014 - "Dan and Kathy are the friendliest people you can meet. They host concerts from the most generous place in their hearts, and as soon as I walked through the door, I just felt happy to be around them. Dan cooked up a BBQ of smoked ribs & pork shoulder (with all the fixin's!) which was a big hit! The downstairs room has a fireplace, comfortable seating, nice sound system, and every seat was taken. Dan did a great job getting folks to donate generously. I felt lucky to play here: truly embraced." - Jaspar Lepak
Things to ponder.
If you would like help selling merchandise, please let us know in advance so we can arrange to have someone to help.
We offer a bed and breakfast for all of our musicians so if you plan to stay the night, please let us know.
Please provide answers to the following questions.
1. Would you like to use our PA system?
2. Do you have any dietary restrictions or requests?
3. Do you plan to stay the night?
4. What time do you plan to arrive?
5 Is there anything else you need from us?
6. Do you require any Covid protocols?
We look forward to hearing from you and hosting the show!
Best Regards
Your Musicians Corner House Concerts Team
musicianscornerhouseconcerts@gmail.com
