Spence

FAQ #1

What is a house concert?

Each house concert is an intimate, musical storytelling performance that we curate from scratch every night to fit our host's space. We bring the lighting, speakers, and instruments; everything to put on an unforgettable Theatrical Pop performance. Some hosts like to provide food and drink to guests, some lay out pillows and blankets, while other hosts provide just the essentials listed in our application form. We work with hosts individually to determine appropriate volume levels and cutoff times for noise at the end of the night. Our concerts require a 7-hour time commitment from the host on the day of the concert, typically from around 4pm to 11pm.

FAQ #2

My living room might be too small; can I still host a concert?

You may still be able to host! In our host application form, we’ve included pictures of our average audience for you to gauge how comfortable that size of a group would be in your space, as well as the dimensions we require for our stage setup. We work with each host to determine an appropriate capacity for the space beforehand so we know how many tickets to put up for sale. Sometimes a space will seem too small at first, but with a little creativity and rearrangement of furniture we've successfully put on concerts in very small rooms in the past.

FAQ #3

I looked at the form and my home is indeed too small. Can I still be a host?

Previous hosts have found creative solutions by putting us in barns, local libraries, churches, coffee shops, and more. If you’re doubtful your actual home would work for a concert and you (or a friend) have access to an alternative space like this, send us a message and we’ll figure it out together!

FAQ #4

What does the host have to provide for a house concert?

As fun as touring is, the margins are slim for small, independent teams like ours, so my team and I have come up with a few guidelines to make sure that each concert is sustainable and we can keep doing this as long as our knees hold out:

Guarantee

Around the time we reach out to determine scheduling, we’ll also work together to set a guarantee for the night. In the music industry, a guarantee is an amount that the Artist can count on earning for the evening which takes into account ticket sales, merch sales, and donations/tips. Certain factors like providing the team with dinner and/or providing lodging are greatly appreciated, and help to lower the guarantee amount. Because of the generosity of our guests, the majority of past hosts have owed nothing at the end of the night, our guarantee amount having been met by the attendees. A few hosts have ended up needing to cover the remaining 10-20% of the guarantee, and almost none have needed to cover anything beyond that. Our team is thoughtfully selective about the markets in which we feel we can put on a spectacular concert.
Ticketing

We manage all of our own ticketing ourselves via a small ticket-taking table that we'll ask to set up somewhere near the entrance of the home. Occassionally hosts have preferred to make the event free for their friends & family and personally cover the cost of everyones’ tickets, which works fine for us and would eliminate the need for ticketing at the door.
Attendee Hospitality

Hosts are not required to provide anything on the night of the concert other than the space and a restroom that all team members and guests will have access to for the entirety of the performance. If food, drinks, and seating will not be provided, we’ll communicate that to our guests ahead of time so that everyone knows what to expect. For any food or drink that is provided by the host or guests, we kindly request clear labeling of all allergens, specifically (but not limited to) items containing peanuts, tree nuts, and shellfish; life-threatening allergies to these items are more common than many people realize.

FAQ #5

What are the guidelines on food, drinks, and alcohol?

Since our fanbase is all-ages, we work with each host individually to set appropriate rules on alcohol permittance, and do not allow smoking or vaping on host premises during our concerts. We also defer to our host's preference when it comes to allowing guests to bring their own food and drink.

FAQ #6

Does Spence only perform house concerts in the U.S.?

Spence performs all around the world! We've held concerts in venues, coffeeshops, and homes in a number of different countries, typically as part of a larger tour in that region. As fun as touring is, the margins are slim for small, independent teams like ours, which is why we typically only tour each region of the U.S. once every few years. We accept house concert host applications from all around the world, all year round, and keep all submissions on deck to be called upon whenever Spence is coming to your town.

FAQ #7

When should I submit my house concert host application form?

Today! We accept entries through our Google Form all year round, though we encourage fans to get their submissions in as soon as possible since we use those to help gauge regional interest when deciding where to tour and which hosts to reach out to.

Apply Here

From previous hosts:

Sarah from Washington, D.C.

"Watching my small living room in the middle of the city transform...

It was crazy. Watching Spence and the team turn my place into a venue for almost 20 people was something hard to imagine, but it happened. They came ready to snap into action and it made for one magical night. "

Zoë from New Jersey

"Convincing my parents took a lot more than just asking over and over...

Both of my parents already knew I love Spence’s music, but when I brought up hosting a concert, they were understandably caught off guard. Since I’d gone to his show in Seattle, I was well aware of what his shows were like, as well as the fans attending them. Spence was one of the few artists where I was fully confident it would be a chill and low-key kind of show, and that both Spence and the fans attending would be respectful. However, my parents didn’t know all that, so they (mostly my dad) was under the impression that 100 rowdy fans would be at their house, which understandably had them on the fence about the whole idea. I ended up making a whole document acting as a FAQ guide to answer their 100 questions and ease their concerns, and even that wasn’t enough to convince them at first!

I have to give credit to my mom, because she was the one who convinced my dad to even give this concert a shot! I usually handle things on my own and don’t usually ask my parents for much, especially such a big ask like hosting a concert. My mom saw that and was the convincing voice of reason for my dad. Another convincing factor was smooth communication with Spence’s manger Seven. He was beyond willing to answer any and all questions I had in a quick and well organized manner (and trust me, there were a lot of questions).

As for the show itself, every step of it was genuinely a great experience. I wouldn’t really chance anything! Contact with Spence’s manager was smooth, set up was chill, the music was at a respectable volume, and everyone was calmly enjoying the show (Nothing matching my parents’ initial concerns!). My family doesn’t even listen to Spence’s music and even they really enjoyed it!! "