Living room concerts are a growing phenom in cities across the U.S., the Tampa Bay area included. Performers benefit from reduced expenses, higher cash returns and attentive audiences, and can build a sustainable fanbase in small but loyal chunks. Fans enjoy an intimate atmosphere, a noise-free listening experience, and more opportunities to get quality facetime with the artists. March saw the launch of the Listening Room Festival by locally based singer-songwriter and ConcertsInYourHome.com founder Fran Snyder. The multi-day fest of private house concerts was paired with public artist showcases and workshops at St. Pete’s own listening room, Hideaway Café & Recording Studio. Stay tuned for a second edition next spring. listeningroomfestival.com, concertsinyourhome.com
This article appears in Sep 20-26, 2012.