Music is something that Lorri (Solomon) Matthewson cherishes. It's part of who she is whether performing or enjoying the music of others; it is an extremely important part of her life.
She enjoys sharing her love of music and three years ago she and her husband, Greg, began hosting house concerts. Though Lorri is a talented musician these house concerts focus on others who are either travelling through the area touring or who live close enough to stop in for an evening of entertainment.
"As a musician you kind of depend on house concerts," Lorri explained. "They're not where I got my start, but I depend on them now when I tour generally."
For musicians working their way around the country, house concerts often come with food and a place to stay the night; helping cut down expenses on the road, while allowing the artist to interact with a smaller crowd.
"It's really about musicians helping each other set up across the country, helping them to keep playing," Lorri said. "Musicians don't get a lot of work in pubs and dances anymore, more people are using DJs, so to have somewhere to play and a place to crash [is important]."
The atmosphere surrounding these concerts are a little different, it's much more intimate and allows those in the crowd to get to know the artist performing better than they would at a typical performance elsewhere.
"It's a nice gig of 20 or so people and they're always a good listening crowd," Lorri stated.
"You really have to experience it though. It's an intimate concert and it introduces you to all kinds of music you might not see otherwise."
Though Lorri says she is a folk artist, those who perform at the house concerts are an eclectic group, varying in styles of music.
Lorri recently spent time in Cape Breton where she is undergoing schooling for a Masters degree in Community Economic Development. She noticed that music is found in every crevice of Cape Breton. From artists performing along the boardwalk, busking or simply out there to play, to musicians playing at parties, live music is the norm there, which she would love to see here as well and is why she hosts house concerts and encourages others to do so as well.
The Matthewson's attempt to host at least one concert per month, but doing so is heavily dependent on opportunities arising.
"I was speaking with Brent [Nielsen] a short time ago and he asked if I had heard his new group [The Stillhouse Poets]. I said I hadn't but that if he was ever out this way to let me know when," Lorri stated. "The conversation continued and I asked if maybe he wanted to come out and do a house concert which he said would be cool."
The majority of house concerts Lorri hosts develop in a similar fashion.
Lorri went on to explain the evening of music is usually a potluck and that she requires people to call ahead to confirm they will be there as 25 people is the comfortable limit to her basement. In addition to this, Lorri says that a collection is taken for the performers, though she suggests $20, it is up to the attendee how much they can afford to give.
"We suggest $20 each for the jar and usually to cook something, but we don't want that to discourage people," Lorri said. "All the money goes to the artist, so it's just how much you can afford; but, $20 isn't expensive for an evening of entertainment."
Lorri is excited to welcome The Stillhouse Poets, Brent Nielson and Kirk Hextall, on Friday, Aug. 29, for a house concert performance.
Based out of Regina, the Poets are a roots duo with a sound described as being of the Mississippi Delta and the Appalachian mountains. As friends their musical dealings grew over the years leading to the two writing a song together.
"Kirk and I were friends before we were The Stillhouse Poets," Nielson explained. "He knew I was a musician playing here and there for some 30 years. We were sitting on his front porch one day and he said to me 'I think I wrote a song.' He doesn't play an instrument so he sang it to me acapella. I really liked the melody as well as the lyrics and the rich warmth in his voice."
"He said he could hear a 'meandering guitar' with it and asked if I could come up with something. I worked on it a bit and wrote what became the guitar part for 'All the Songs.' That was the first tune we wrote together. It felt pretty good so we decided to keep going."
Nielson describes The Stillhouse Poets music as "bluesy roots music."
"Some people want to call our music 'folk music,' but that makes us think of Pete Seeger or Joan Baez and that's not what we're about," Nielson explained. "We take music from the Appalachian mountains and mix it with some blues from the Mississippi Delta - so bluesy roots music would be a more accurate description."
"It has more guts than what we think of as folk music. If we have to use the word folk, I'd say it's 'folk music with some dirt on it.'"
Nielson is not new to house concerts and has performed approximately five different times in that type of setting - one that focuses on the music first and foremost.
"We've played bars (and will play more) where not everyone is there to hear music," Nielson stated. "They're watching the hockey game or having a beer and catching up with their friends. The subtleties of the music and stories we tell can get lost in the din of the crowd. We know some folks are listening though, because we always sell a few copies of our album."
"In a house concert setting, there is no din from the crowd because they're all listening. The hockey game isn't on and they wait for the break between sets to catch up with friends. As a musician you feel a connection with the audience because there is nothing to disconnect you. Personally, when I feel the audience is with me something opens up and I'm not really playing music anymore - it just flows. When it's over, both us and the audience have had a shared experience. We've never played a house concert where it didn't feel like some kinda (sic) magic happened. When people go home feeling like they were a part of something special - we feel it too."
The house concert atmosphere Nielson continued to explain is even different than the "listening rooms" in Regina like The Artesian because even though it's a concert hall and people have arrived for the music, there's something about the intimacy of a house concert as a musician that he loves.
"We love to play those rooms [the listening rooms] but there's something about a house concert," he explained. "Maybe it's a little more relaxed because it's someone's home and it's full of their friends. Sometimes in a concert hall the lights are in your eyes so all you see is a big black curtain. You know people are there though because you can hear them."
"At a house concert the lighting is maybe a floor lamp and some candles. You can see everybody and a bunch of them are [six] feet in front of you. You're all there for one thing. To share in the experience of live music and storytelling."
"We're really looking forward to bringing it to the folks in Carlyle and we'd like to send out a huge thank you to Lorri Matthewson for asking us to come out and play."
For more information about the house concert featuring The Stillhouse Poets or about hosting house concerts call or text the Matthewson's at (306)575-8330.
The idea of a house concert is not new to the area, with different people having held them in Forget before and around the southeast as music lovers can enjoy a variety of music without having to travel great distances.
