This article first appeared on HaltonHillsToday March 16.
A tiny upright piano sits in the corner of the living room in front of the bookshelves that are filled with albums and CDs instead of books. To the right, two guitars – one acoustic, one electric – hang from a stand. Chairs pulled up to within a couple feet of the microphone make it appear like preparations are being made for story time.
And in a way, it is. Stories set to music.
For the past 13 years, Frank and Ruth Loreto have been hosting concerts in their home.
Most of the performers are up-and-coming artists, though there are some members of established groups that do solo performances. Many of the performers will actually do house tours, making their way across the province or country playing in people’s homes.
“It’s great getting the chance to meet the performers,” Frank Loreto said. “For the performers, it can be hard to get a crowd together and they’re coming to a place where people will listen.”
The Loretos have hosted performers from as far away as Finland and Australia.
“It’s a chance for them to break into the Canadian market,” he said.
The Loretos and other hosts are connected with performers through an organization called Home Routes, though there are others like Living Room Live that organize home shows and tours. Home Routes was started by Mitch Podolak, a former CBC radio host and a co-founder of the Winnipeg Folk Festival.
“Sometimes we know the performers, sometimes we don’t,” Loreto said.
The hosts are responsible for feeding the performers and giving them a place to stay.
Due to the shows being held in a home, the number of attendees is limited to 25-30. And though the shows are small and tickets are reasonable at $25, it can be better financially for the performers.
“The money goes directly to the performer,” Loreto said, “which based on what they would get for a gig in a hall, is pretty good.”
Those in attendance get to meet the performers and find out a little more about them and their music.
The Loretos are hosting two upcoming shows, Crys Matthews on April 14 and Beau Wheeler and Jesse Waldman on May 5. For ticket information, contact [email protected].
