home + garden

A crock of chili, a plate of fruit, a pan of homemade brownies, a cooler full of beer, soft drinks and water. What more could you want? How about a tip jar for the bespectacled guy wandering around in his slippers, looking for toothpaste?

Pat DiNizio, lead singer of the 1980s modern-rock hitmakers the Smithereens, is the reason about 30 people gathered in Tom and Suzanne Steman's St. Cloud kitchen. In a few minutes, DiNizio will pick up his acoustic guitar and perform the kind of intimate, story-filled, living-room concert that these people will remember for a lifetime. But first, he wants to brush his teeth.

House concerts are a folk tradition that's as old as "Oh! Susanna." But nowadays they're the stage for pop performers, too -- everyone from Wilco's revered Jeff Tweedy to Canada's Be Good Tanyas to your neighbor's aspiring singer/songwriter college student. Other arts -- dance, theater and even visual arts -- are being presented in Minnesota houses, apartments and back yards, as well.

These alternative gigs are less a response to tough economic times than a grass-roots strategy of reaching and building an audience. The Twin Cities blog Cake in 15 has been hosting 35-seat house concerts for indie-rock hipsters. And living-room performances have become special-occasion events for baby boomers who don't see much live music beyond arena concerts by old heroes like Elton John or James Taylor.

"There is a network of 300 to 400 people [around the country] who host events on a monthly basis; they're amateur promoters," says DiNizio, who will do 70 to 80 living-room gigs this year. "These house concerts are not for every artist. Not all of them have the right temperament."

For a veteran like DiNizio, radio airplay is just a memory, but he retains a rabid fan base around the country. The night before, he was booked to sing at a bed-and-breakfast in Clear Lake, Wis. The crowd was so big that the event ended up moving to a more spacious funeral home.

"That was a career first for me," says DiNizio, who has been doing living-room concerts for a decade. "It's exciting and interesting to play Carnegie Hall [where he and Smithereens bandmates appeared in a tribute to the Who] three weeks ago, and then do a funeral home, and now be here."

Puppet show for kids, dogs

The skies are threatening rain, the wind is gusting and it's unseasonably cool for June. So the Driveway Tour puppet-show production of "The Adventures of Katie Tomatie" won't work in the back yard on this evening. Instead, an overflow crowd -- 70 people and one dog -- is crammed into a two-car garage in St. Paul, with many spectators spilling onto the driveway.

Katie Tomatie befriends a skeleton named Mr. Boo Boo, who is the king of puns, to the delight of the adults. An accordionist provides the music, and kids provide the laughter.

Minneapolis' Open Eye Figure Theatre has been presenting the Driveway Tour for eight years. Thanks to grants from the McKnight Foundation and other organizations, the tour will stage a record 90 shows in back yards and parks this summer -- from Delano to Eagan -- for free.

"It doesn't need technical support or electricity," said producing director Susan Haas. "Our puppeteers and musicians are paid. We pass the hat at every show, and last year we collected $14,000 from 80 shows."

George Hare, 10, rode his bike to "Katie Tomatie." "It was kind of cheesy for people my age," he opines, "but fine for the little kids."

Mary Esch, who promoted and hosted the show in her garage, was pleased. "I love seeing my neighborhood experience art," she says. "The outreach thing is cool. I love that they came to us."

All in the family

With the help of his father, brothers and an uncle-in-law architect, Jim Hawthorne built an 880-square-foot addition in 2006 to his Edina rambler, to be used for house concerts.

"We call it the Great Room," the former Edina High School choir teacher says with glee.

The Hawthorne House Concert Series runs during the school year, this past season embracing everyone from an Israeli harpist to a Montana folk singer to the Chamber Music Society of Minnesota. There was even an open-mike night.

These concerts are a family affair for the Hawthornes, who have been hosting house shows for 15 years. Lisa Hawthorne manages the food and beverages. Their two daughters wrangle the visiting children. And Jim Hawthorne is the producer, promoter, emcee, roadie, sound man and backup singer if needed.

"Our family mission is 'Explore, share and celebrate,'" Hawthorne explains to 60 people on a Friday night before introducing Woodbury-bred, Nashville-based singer Daniel Ellsworth and his band, the Great Lakes.

"Eating is the opening act," says the producer/host, who typically underwrites the refreshments but lets the performer pocket the donation jar. "People really like the fellowship part; people desire community. They like being able to talk and visit and share stories with each other and the artists."

Neighbor Delia Dall'arancio is a regular at the Hawthornes' concerts. "It's always a highlight for me," she says. "I come for the company. It's interesting people-watching, and we meet a wonderful opera singer, hear a violin quartet. And we can bring our kids. It's so much fun."

Less headache than indoors

For the performers, the motivation is more than free food, fellowship and maybe a few hundred bucks. It's about adding fans to your Facebook page and your e-mail list, and selling CDs and T-shirts.

Steve (Steven C) Anderson, who fancies himself as the male Lorie Line, performs solo piano concerts in his Summit Avenue mansion in St. Paul. While most house concerts request pay-what-you-can donations and some use PayPal to reserve limited seats, Anderson doesn't ask for donations. But he has "two cute kids at the retail table," he says, referring to his daughters. "You sell so much more at these concerts. The Internet hasn't replaced the play-and-sell approach."

One Steven C concertgoer was so impressed with his keyboard skills and his restored house that she staged a fashion show there, with him playing grand piano as the models strutted their stuff.

Other performers and presenters have found special challenges in house or back-yard events:

• Outdoor performances are "less of a headache than indoors" because of "bare-bones" productions, says Swandive Theater artistic director Meg DiSciorio, who presents Vegetable Stock Theater in back yards. But it's always a trial-and-error process. Last time, her thespians encountered airplanes flying overhead.

• Choreographer/dancer April Sellers finds bigger audiences -- and fewer expenses -- than in traditional venues. But choreographing for spaces in which she can't rehearse -- a condo rooftop, for one recent example -- is a challenge.

• Bob Brown, a longtime Walker Art Center gallery supervisor, and his wife, Susan, have turned their Victorian apartment in St. Paul's Ramsey Hill neighborhood into an art gallery. After opening events (complete with live music and baked goods), their Apartment One Gallery is open by appointment.

Upstaging the host

Over the course of three hours, DiNizio has told stories about Paul McCartney, Buddy Holly's widow, the Ramones, his childhood, daughter, ex-wife, a girlfriend or two, bandmates and his songs. And, of course, he's also sung several tunes and sold his CDs at intermission.

To wrap up the second set, he invites his host, Tom Steman, to join him on the Smithereens' first hit, "Blood and Roses." They sing in unison into one microphone, and then the host takes a verse by himself.

"You did good, Tommy," proclaims DiNizio, who, for the second consecutive year, is in his stocking feet in the Stemans' jam-packed living room. "But you sound like one of those Winnie-the-Pooh characters. You could have a career as a voice-over guy."

Or a small-time concert promoter.

Jon Bream • 612-673-1719