House Concert in Mt Airy featuring Barnaby Bright

I am very excited to announce another House Concert in Mt Airy to be held on September 25 at 7:30 featuring Barnaby Bright.

What is a House Concert? Essentially, it is a private party (with snacks and tasty beverages and small talk) that features a musical guest who performs two sets to a small, exclusive audience. Because the seating is at such a small venue (no more than 25-30 people) you have to have a reservation, and we hope that you will donate $15 -- all of which goes directly to the artist. (House concert hosts make no money -- hosts do this just because they love music and have a lot of chairs). If you bring a snack to share at intermission, that is terrific, but not required. What you get at a house party is top notch music and casual ambiance, you get to meet your music loving and/or curious and/or artsy neighbors, and you get to listen to music without having to sit at a wobbly bar table and hear people cheer for the team on the TV, or talk the whole time as if there was no performance.

I saw Barnaby Bright perform recently at the Tin Angel -- even there, a few people couldn't shut up, but the music was terrific. I like to see the artist before I open my house for a concert, and frankly, I don't see a ton of smaller acts that are original or interesting enough. Barnaby Bright is original and interesting -- It is hard to characterize -- folky rock with a hint of Celtic and a smidgen of alternative country? The group is comprised primarily of Nathan and Becky Bliss. I don't know how she would feel about the comparison, but Becky's voice reminds me strongly of Sarah McLaughlin, and Nate can, well, play any musical instrument he holds -- their act includes guitars, a harmonium, a clarinet, etc., etc. They released a full length studio CD, "Wake the Hero" in 2009 which generated buzz throughout the NYC music scene, with it's beautiful acoustic guitar patterns, Becky's astonishing vocals, lush harmonies, rich string arrangements, quirky instruments and subtle electronic tweaks. Barnaby Bright's music has since been featured on television shows such as ER, Days of Our Lives, and PBS Roadtrip Nation. Their song, "If I Came Back as a Song" was voted 3rd place winner by a notable panel of judges including Tom Waits, in 2007's International Song-Writing Competition. They were recently featured as an "Emerging Artist" at the legendary Falcon Ridge Folk Festival in upstate NY, and are returning to Europe just a few days after the concert in Mt Airy for a month-long tour.

You can listen to clips at http://www.myspace. com/barnabybright

If you are interested in coming to see this concert, or if you'd just like to be on the email list for future concerts, please email me
for a reservation. I also have a Facebook page (search Mt. Airy House Concerts) with more information upcoming about Barnaby Bright. I would love to hear feedback from folks who came to the last concert, or ideas on how to get the word out to potentially interested folks. House concerts are a relatively new phenomenon and musicians are passionate about them -- they get to play for an attentive small audience and they are grateful for the opportunity to meet music lovers --I can't describe how much fun it is to hear professional musicians perform in this sort of intimate venue. I hope you'll join us.

Thanks, Laura
katomommy@yahoo. com
mtairyhouseconcerts@yahoo.com