Host a Benefit Concert!

Hosting a house concert for Sustainable Now in your home or meeting place is not only fun, it can play a key role in helping build grassroots support for a sustainable future in western North Carolina. Private concerts featuring singer/songwriter Ian Booth offer a great way to get together with some wonderful folks, enjoy an evening of good music and watch Ian's multimedia presentation "The Times They Are a Changin', and How it Might Affect You."

It's easy and fun to host a house concert! Many families around the country host house concerts regularly.

This is all you have to do:

First, contact us to arrange a date.

Next comes your guest list. Here's what you can expect at the concert. It is helpful to mention to prospective guests that house concerts typically attract focused audiences of music lovers. This is where selectivity in making out your guest list comes in. "Partiers" may not do well at a house concert. Many hosts include information about house concerts in their E-vite or written invitations. This helps minimize distractions for those who are there to enjoy the music and the banter from the "stage" and insures that all guests have a quality experience. Most of the socializing usually takes place during the break and after the concert.

You're welcomed to use our printable invitation (view sample) and we'll personalize it for you (add date, time, location, etc); or you can choose your favorite online invitation, personalize it to your taste and send it to your friends, neighbors and co-workers. Ian also has an email list of friends and "fans" that you might want to include. We'd recommend not sending invitations more than two to three weeks before the concert. It's also a good idea to ask guests to R.S.V.P.

Nuts and bolts:

We'll ask you to do your best to guarantee a minimum of 25 guests at a suggested donation of $10 per person to cover our basic expenses. On the other hand, some hosts who really want to jump in, offer to cover the concert expenses themselves and take a more casual approach to the $10 suggested donation. If you prefer some other financial arrangement, we're happy to consider that too. Ian will mention during the concert that contributions to Sustainable Now are greatly welcomed.

Out of repect for non-smoking guests and musicians, house concerts are usually non-smoking affairs. It is important to have a designated smoking area for those who would like to smoke.

Some hosts like to have a potluck dinner before the concert, which is great, but musicians often need to save their voice and energy before playing for two hours. The best times for the musician to socialize with guests and autograph CDs are during the break and immediately following the concert.

Here are some examples of room set-up at other house concerts. If at all possible, it is best to place the musician in the least-traveled part of the room to minimize distractions when guests visit the bathroom, etc. Remember, we'll need a little bit of room for equipment.

Some hosts ask guests to bring a folding chair (that's pretty easy) and some borrow extra chairs from the church, etc.

That's pretty much it! Thank you so much for your interest and for your willingness to join us in providing an enjoyable and very timely experience for your friends and other music lovers!