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This could be you! Wild Mountain Honey makes a name for themselves on a spin board at a house party in Tahoe City. |
CommentsBringing Back the House Party
By Ryan SalmPublished: August 15, 2010
Summertime is slowly fading away. With fall on its way, how are you going to hold on to those last feelings of warmth? Two words — house party. Don’t unpack your flannel sheets and down comforters just yet, there are nights ahead for friends to come over, bring a six-pack each, hang out on the front porch, and have a night to remember. It’s one thing to turn on the barbecue, grill up some veggies, and smoke cigars. It’s a whole other thing to muster up one of your favorite Tahoe musicians or bands and throw a concert on your porch or in your living room. To be frank, live music right on your own porch sounds good no matter who it is. But with so many amazing musicians in the area, who do you want to have over? Let’s take a look at some of Tahoe’s finest.
If you’re looking to get a handful of musicians to stop by and jam some rock, folk, Americana, or bluegrass tunes, call up any of the members of the Dead Winter Carpenters. The band is a mix and match of Montana Slim String Band and the Rusty Strings and will surely entertain any crowd. In between their national touring schedule Jesse Dunn, Jenni Charles, and Sean Duerr have an entire catalogue of originals and covers to keep you busy for the entire evening.
The all-girl Truckee/Tahoe outfit known as Wild Mountain Honey pick a variety of amazing Americana and bluegrass tunes. Their siren-like rhythms and beautiful harmonies will leave you speechless. Where else in the Basin can you find an all-girl bluegrass band? They are in high demand but only play when the feeling is right.
If you are looking for a gypsy, ska/ funk sound, invite Josh Roelle. If you are throwing a rager have him show up with Horsemouth (in my opinion, the best house party band in the Basin). I caught up with Roelle and asked him a few questions about playing house party gigs.
Moonshine Ink: Why do you like playing house parties?
Josh Roelle: In the beginning you want to get exposure and fans. It’s much different than in a bar. At a house there’s a completely different set of rules and sometimes there are no rules; you can get crazy. Horsemouth will play house parties for fun.
MI: What are the issues involved in playing a house party?
JR: The main issue is bringing the equipment, the physical labor involved. Most houses don't have a sound system and we have to bring our own. The playing is the easy part. It’s the setup and breakdown that kind of stink. That’s why these days we would charge about $400 or good trades.
MI: Have there been many good house parties in the area lately?
JR: I haven’t even heard of any bands playing a house party lately. Maybe it’s because the venues have gotten better, but I don't know why there aren’t more house parties.
Whichever band you choose to rock out on your porch, keep in mind there are a few things to consider when throwing a successful house party.
1: Who are your neighbors? If you live in an area with many second homes, throw the party on a weekday or on a non-holiday weekend. The last thing you want is a family reunion next door with early bedtimes. It’s also important to meet all the neighbors that you don’t know. Go to Safeway, buy a strawberry tart, and introduce yourself to any within earshot of your house. Politely invite them to the party, and leave them with your phone number with instructions to call if the party is too loud. You don’t want the men in blue involved in ending the party early.
2: Who are your friends and what is their work schedule? If they are all in the service industry odds are they are working weekends, so throw the party during the week. If your friends are 9 to 5’ers have the party on the weekend when they are all looking for a release after a tough week at the office.
3: Buy beer and food, but tell your guests to do the same. It’s hard to be the sole provider for a party, and if everyone brings their own beer when the kegs are cashed you’ll still have plenty to drink until the sun comes up. Also, grab one of your best looking friends and ask them to walk around with a hat for donations to help pay off any unforeseen bills.
4: Don’t be afraid to make it a costume party. Come up with a theme, whatever floats your boat, and do it right. The band will dress up, and the guests will love it even more.
One thing I always like to do when the party is coming to a close is throw in a reggae style, “reeewind” where the music stops and everyone looks around like the party just ended out of nowhere. At that point get on the mic and ask everyone pick up two empty bottles and drop them in the recycling before they leave. The crowd will think you are nuts, but I guarantee it will make your clean-up go much quicker.
Pricing for bands isn’t an exact science, so it’s best to contact each group for specifics. As a guideline, plan on playing each musician $100 for the night.
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