WANNA BRING ADAM OR ADAM AND THE BANDIES TO YOUR HOME?
Yep. We really do this.
Living rooms, backyards, barns and wonderfully unexpected spaces have been part of the AEG story for years. We can't do as many of these shows as we used to, but whenever our touring schedule leaves us a magical little window, we still sneak away to play them.
And maybe — just maybe — the next one could be at your place.
OK, LET'S START FROM THE BEGINNING...
There is a tradition in the folk world winding back through the ages — from long before there were rock clubs, guitar amps and tour buses.
Traveling musicians would move from town to town, playing in living rooms, barns and public houses. They shared music, but they also shared stories, news and culture from one community to the next.
In more recent decades, a kind of underground house concert circuit developed. Dedicated hosts would bring artists into their homes on a regular basis, essentially turning their living rooms into tiny music venues.
It was this amazing grassroots world that you either knew about...or you didn't.
I loved playing these shows...
...but always wondered what would happen if anybody could do it.
THE GET FOLKED YEARS
In 2016, I decided that this incredible Village of fans surrounding us was capable of creating its own house concert circuit.
So we went out to all of you and asked a simple question:
Anybody wanna host me for a show at their house?
We created an application process and opened it up to everyone.
It didn't matter if you'd never hosted a house concert.
It didn't matter if you'd never even heard of a house concert.
It didn't matter whether you lived close to a city or way out in the sticks.
All were welcome.
We were flooded with applications.
And the Get Folked House Concert Tour was born.
Each year, I'd give the bandies a couple months off and hit the road, trying to squeeze in as many living rooms as humanly possible. At its peak, I was playing 60+ shows in two months — every night, and twice a day on most weekends.
It was glorious. And deeply fulfilling.
There are things you can do when hanging in a living room that you just can't do on a stage.
Unrecorded songs. Stories. Tangents and toasts. Things that happen once and never again...
...less like a performance sometimes, and more like a bunch of us gathered around and hanging out together.
To this day, it's one of my absolute favorite ways to share music.
THEN CAME THE LIVE GATHERINGS...
COVID hit, and the world came to a stop.
But we didn't.
I was live-streaming every night as part of The Gathering Series, and thousands of new listeners and Gatherers were joining our lil Village.
The clubs and theaters were closed.
But we knew what to do.
We developed careful social-distancing protocols and went back out to our fans, this time asking if they'd like to apply to host the whole band in their backyards.
Once again, we were flooded with applications.
And during one of the most isolating times any of us can remember, we played more than 100 socially-distanced Live Gatherings in backyards around the country.
Once again, you all inspired us to find a different way forward.
SO...WHAT'S HAPPENING TODAY?
Well, we're in a funny spot.
We're being asked to play more and more venues and festivals, which is freaking awesome — but it also means I don't have a couple months to carve out for a Get Folked Tour anymore, and we don't have the capacity to mount a separate Live Gatherings tour.
BUT...there are always windows.
...magic little windows.
An off-night between two shows. A weekend with a hole in it. A routing day where we suddenly realize we're going to be driving right through your hometown.
Opportunities to sneak away from the traditional music world and play an underground show in one of our favorite settings:
A bunch of us gathered around, sharing music and hanging together.
Sometimes it's me solo in a living room.
Sometimes it's Adam and the Bandies in a backyard.
Indoor. Outdoor. Tiny. Bigger.
Whenever our touring schedule and one of your spaces line up just right, we try to make it happen.
So we're officially opening up applications to anyone gutsy enough to wanna host one.
COULD YOU ACTUALLY HOST ONE OF THESE?
Absolutely.
You do not need to have hosted a concert before. In fact, historically, most of our hosts haven't.
You don't need to live in a big house or on a big property.
You don't need to know how any of this works yet.
But you do need to be willing to help us make the night successful.
Our hosts have a HUGE impact on these shows. We'll guide you through the process, handle the things we manage, and help you every step of the way — but hosting a great show takes some love.
You'll be helping us understand your space, inviting your people, spreading the word and working with our team to create something special.
If that sounds exciting to you...
You may be our kinda person. 🙂
NOT READY TO HOST? COME TO ONE!
First and foremost — and I can't recommend this enough — if you ever see a house concert or backyard gathering pop up on our tour schedule, don't be scared.
Buy a ticket and take a chance.
There's something incredibly special about experiencing music this way, and it just may change the way you think about concerts.
And if you leave thinking...
Holy shit. I wanna do THAT at my house...
Well, keep reading. 🙂
SOME QUICK QUESTIONS ANSWERED
Would I have to sell Tickets?
Nope. We handle the actual ticketing through our website, so you don't need to deal with the money stuff.
We will ask you to help us spread the word and get people excited about coming. That's part of being a great host.
Can I choose whether I want Adam solo or the full band?
Yup.
On the application, you can tell us what kind of show you're interested in hosting — Adam solo, Adam and the Bandies, indoors, outdoors, etc.
That said, the more flexy you are, the better the chance that an opportunity comes up that's a match between your home and our touring schedule.
Would I have to let strangers into my home?
Maybe — but your people get first dibs. 🙂
We completely understand that it's your home, so you'll have the first opportunity to invite friends, family and neighbors and try to “sell out” your space with your own community.
If there are still spots available after that, we generally ask our hosts to open them up to local AEG fans.
Part of why we love doing these shows is that they give new and old fans a chance to experience the music in this incredibly intimate setting — and we want to make the most of these special nights whenever we can.
We'll talk through all of this with you before anything is confirmed. If opening your home to folks you don't know is a hard no, that's totally okay — but we may end up going with another interested host instead.
And if what you're really looking for is a completely private concert, we do those too!
Do you do completely private concerts?
Yup. All the time.
Those work a little differently from the shows we're talking about here. If you're interested in hiring Adam or AEG for a private event, reach out to Robyn here:
If I apply, does that mean I'll get a show?
Sadly no.
These shows happen when we can find those magical matches between our tour schedule, geography, timing and the right host.
Applying puts your hand in the air and lets us know:
"Hey! If you're ever coming through my neck of the woods, I wanna do this."
And you never know when you might get a call from Camp AEG. ❤️
What if I've hosted or applied before? Should I apply again?
Yes! Please re-apply.
Applications go right into our current host database, and when it's time for us to reach out to hosts, we want you right there in the mix!
I HAVE SO MANY MORE QUESTIONS!!
Excellent. We have answers.
