AMY SPEACE HOUSE CONCERT INFO SHEET OR… So you wanna host a house concert and you’re not quite sure what that means or what comes next…

First of all and most importantly, thanks for your interest in possibly hosting a house concert for Amy. . . we’re excited about the prospect. Since many people are new to the world of house concerts, we’ve prepared this info sheet which answers all of the most common questions. It’s a bit on the long side, but please take a few minutes to read through it, so that we know we’re all on the same page. It should provide you with a good clear template for hosting an enjoyable and successful evening of music

SECTIONS

1. A Little Background 5. Promoting the Concert 2. Space Consideration? 6. Private or Public? 3. Plugged or Unplugged? 7. Setting the Tone

4. The Matter of Money 8. Do Your Thing

1. A LITTLE BACKGROUND The institution of house concerts first gained popularity in the northeast, as many dedicated listening room concert halls lost economic viability and shut down, leaving a huge void of venues in the intimate and subtle acoustic music realm. House concerts have risen to fill this void, and are now an essential staple of every songwriter’s tour schedule. And Amy, being the personable and accessible gal that she is, loves playing them. House concerts can vary quite a bit from one another . . . from very intimate and unplugged living room affairs with 50 people, to large outdoor deck mini-festivals with 200 people in a large yard. As the name implies, most are hosted in private homes . . . but some larger ones are hosted in community halls, church rooms, and offices. About the only definitive commonality is that they’re hosted by individuals, as opposed to being hosted by commercial venues.

2. SPACE CONSIDERATION Do you have a suitable space for hosting a house concert? Odds are, you do . . . but it’s important to do a fair appraisal of your situation and make sure you could fit at least 40-50 people* into your space comfortably, and to make sure that there’s adequate seating for everybody. Friends can generally help by bringing their own chairs (pillows too, depending on their age) if asked . . . so it’s good to have an idea if that’ll be necessary, upfront . . . so you can include that info in invitations and announcements. If you’re concerned that your space might be marginal, just ask us, and we can discuss it.

• Rather than asking for a money guarantee from a private host, we ask for a guarantee that you will do your very best to get 40-50 people to the concert so that it is financially worth everyone’s time and effort. HOWEVER, if you are reaching out to us to fill in a last-minute hole in our already-booked calendar, we only ask that you do your best to make sure that there are at least 25-30 people there.

HOSTING A HOUSE CONCERT

3. PLUGGED OR UNPLUGGED? If your space is extremely large or has terrible acoustics, or if you think the crowd size might grow to bigger than about 50 people, it might be necessary to consider a small sound system. Solo, Amy’s music works really well acoustic, but she’s mostly a very subtle performer and her lyrics are important to GET what she does, so even a very small boost in the sound can really help carry the poetic nuance all the way to the back of the room, and improve the concert experience tremendously. Sound systems are easy and inexpensive to rent. We can easily walk you through that process if it seems like it might become necessary. Amy prefers to play indoors, as the whole gist of the show should be really centered around the concert and anything outdoors tends to disperse attention, some folks are around the keg talking, and a few are trying to hear the lyrics. But if you really do think an outdoor experience is best, keep in mind things like weather, wind, and make sure you invest in renting (or borrowing) an adequate sound system including and most importantly a good quality monitor, so Amy can hear herself. 4. THE MATTER OF MONEY Artistically and musically, the intimate setting of a house concert can create some of the most impactful nights of musical connection. But they’re an essential part of Amy’s financial ecology, as well. Amy works exceptionally hard, and her travel and production expenses are high, and it’s important that he generate income during her time on the road. One of the great virtues of house concerts, though, is that those costs can be defrayed among a wide group of people in a way that makes it an easily affordable situation for everyone. Generally speaking, the host requests that each guest contribute a suggested donation at the door. The suggested amount varies depending on the general demographics of the expected audience, and the expected size of that audience. Typically, the suggested amount is $20 per guest. For a private concert, our goal for Amy is that she walk away with as close to $1000 as possible. It’s important that the host make it clear in any invitations and announcements that there will be this expectation of a suggested donation. We understand that it’s uncomfortable for some hosts to involve their guests with money matters . . . but that’s all the more reason to be clear and upfront about the monetary element. It saves everyone from the awkwardness of having their guests arrive

only to be confronted with a donation basket they didn’t expect. We’ve found that rather than feeling resentful or put upon, guests respond well to the transparent explanation that their contribution is what supports Amy’s music and allows her the time to write and rehearse and record and travel and perform, that this is a full time occupation with high expenses . . . and that house concerts are a grassroots way for the community to support the art it deems to be so valuable. Rather than shy away from the issue of money with your guests, embrace the role of leading the trumpet call to support the arts in your community in this small and direct way. And encourage your guests’ generosity as a form of activism. Your guests will appreciate their role in the evening that much more. In this same way, an unattended “tip” jar on the corner of the table gives the impression that the financial element of the evening is of little relevance, rather than championing the cause of supporting an artist . . . not by collecting “a little gas money” but by helping generate “a reasonable living” for an artist. (TIP: Best to have a basket or a jar that has a clear sign that says “Suggested Donation for Amy: $20 (or more”) and have it clearly visible upon guests entrance and the host should hold it up at the introduction, then point out where the Tip Jar will be so that anyone that ‘missed’ it upon entrance will know where to find it at intermission.) 5. PROMOTING THE CONCERT Amy can and would love to announce the concert to her email list, but . . .the host’s enthusiasm for Amy’s music is the single biggest factor in generating excitement for the evening, and getting folks out for the concert. So share your feelings unabashedly with your friends and family, and encourage them to spread the word, in turn. These are truly grassroots affairs. To make it easy for you to spread your enthusiasm, we’ve created a presskit page on Amy’s website with lots of materials that can be easily cut-and-pasted into invitations, bio’s, abridged bio’s, press photos, posters, and we can send you posters if you need them as well. We’ve found that Evites and Facebook postings do really well in generating word of mouth. House Concerts are way outside the bounds of traditional media, so papers and radio don’t really ‘advertise’ which can be cool. Your friends will feel like they are in on a rare ‘event’! There’s also fully downloadable MP3s and live performance video online on youtube.com and other places (ask us!) that you can link to and give your friends a taste of what to expect from Amy’s music. We can help you use these materials to put together enticing announcements and invitations about the show, to generate a buzz of excitement from your friends for the concert. But nothing speaks louder to your friends than your own words. 6. PRIVATE OR PUBLIC? Generally speaking, house concerts are public events. If agreed upon by the host, the concert date will get listed on Amy’s online tour calendar along with a request to email the host for more information if a guest is interested in attending. None of the host’s private information is posted, unless explicit permission is given by the host. Its best that RSVP’s are left to the Host, as Amy spends much of her life on the road and her time for dealing with RSVP’s is limited, but if that’s a problem for you, please let us know. 1) The host’s personal information is kept private from spam collectors and naredowells 2) The host can keep track of an RSVP list, and can cut off attendance if/when a threshold is crossed. It’s then the host’s responsibility to forward all the appropriate details and directions to the interested party. In this way, the host is in control of who is invited into their home. And just for the record, we’ve never once had a single behavioral issue at any of Amy’s house concerts. Not one. It seems that Amy’s music makes a pretty good filter for civility.

That said, some hosts prefer that the concert be an entirely private event. If you’re interested in such an event, let us know, and we can work out a fair price. Private events where the matter of attendance is a closed affair and by invitation only from the host work under a specific rate guarantee/fee. 7. SETTING THE TONE It’s important to make it clear to your guests that this is a concert, not just a party with music going on in the corner. Amy loves a good party. . . but her music is delicate and nuanced and complex . . . and it’s important for you, as the host, to set the tone for the evening, and explain that this will be an attentive listening affair, and insist that conversations be taken outside during the concert portion of the evening. That said, these concerts can serve as wonderful social functions, and many house concert hosts choose to invite their guests to arrive early for wine and dessert and some good mingling . . . and often, hosts choose to make the event a potluck, creating even more of a sense of community from the concert. It’s just that the social element is done within the expectation that when the concert portion of the evening begins, that people will settle down and listen. They’ll be happy they did. Usually we find these things work best with a set schedule, with you, the Host(ess), being kind of the Captain of the Ship. In your invites, you can set a “doors open’ time. Say, 6:30 doors open. 7-8 mingle, potluck, 8-10 concert, 11pm go home happy. The Host can flick the lights or ding a bell or something like this at about 7:45, signaling the guests its time to settle into their seats for the concert. And usually, the host provides a brief welcome/introduction, welcoming their guests, pointing out bathrooms and exits (for those that aren’t familiar with the space), asking the guests to silence or turn off all cell phones, explaining that Amy will perform 2 sets with an intermission for mingling and CD sales (20 minutes at most usually works) and maybe providing a brief intro to Amy herself. 8. DO YOUR THING OK . . . so all this was meant as a template to help you envision how a house concert might look at your place, and to make sure all the important issues were touched upon. But please understand . . . this is your event, and it will take on a reflection of your own personal style. Within the general context of these basic guidelines, Amy is open to all kinds of shows for all kinds of people. In fact, she relishes the variety, and the human connection. So please tell us what you have in mind. And let us know if you have any questions or concerns generated from what you’ve just read, and we can discuss it. We can certainly work out a concert that you and your friends will find moving and inspiring, and which Amy will be delighted to have played. Thanks for reading all this, and giving the idea of a concert your thoughtful consideration. And if past records are any indication, we think you’ll really enjoy the whole process . . . as many many first time hosts of Amy’s house concerts have gone on to become presenters of regular monthly concerts. So it’s not a hard thing to do, at all . . . and it’s a very gratifying experience. We look forward to planning a concert together. All the best -- Amy and the Team First and foremost: Amy herself: amy@amyspeace.com John Porter, Manager, moodindigo247@aol.com Craig Grossman, Booking agent: greenroomcraig@gmail.com

SOME PROMO AND THINGS THAT MIGHT HELP YOU OUT IN GETTING FOLKS OFF THE COUCH TO COME TO THE CONCERT: A good bio you can use for your invitation: “Amy Speace’s songs hang together like a short story collection, united by a common vantage point and common predicaments…it’s a gift to hear a heart so modest even when it’s wide open,” says legendary rock critic Dave Marsh in his liner notes to Amy Speace’s latest, “How To Sleep In A Stormy Boat” (WindBone/Tone Tree). Marsh continues, “It is the most daring, confident, ambitious and beautiful album Amy Speace has made since she began recording.” Speace, once an actress with The National Shakespeare Company, has crafted a document to living gracefully with grief that weaves a most unlikely yet beautifully poetic narrative between her very modern lamentings and the characters in Shakespeare’s plays. The New York Times wrote “For those who argue that poetry is a dying genre, I suggest listening to Amy Speace.” The Tennessean writes, “What Speace says – what she sings -- she says with a confluence of poetry and honesty, of emotional specificity.” And NPR’ “All Things Considered” featured an interview between Jacki Lyden and Amy which aired late April 2013. Although Amy began her creative career in the theater, acting with The National Shakepeare Company and various other classical repertory theaters, she long ago left behind the stage to pursue music full time. Cutting her teeth playing regular gigs at The Living Room and The Bitter End in NYC, she was discovered by legend Judy Collins in 2005 and signed to Collins’ imprint, Wildflower Records, releasing two critically-acclaimed albums, “Songs For Bright Street” (2006) and “The Killer In Me” (2009). Judy Collins herself recorded Amy’s song, “The Weight of the World,” calling it “one of the best political folk songs I’ve ever heard.” NYC’s top AAA station WFUV named that song #4 in DJ John Platt’s Top 10 Songs of the Decade. Appearances followed at Mountain Stage, The Philadelphia Folk Festival, The Kerrville Folk Festival, Rocky Mountain Folk Festival and many others. Along the way, she has gained support and praise from such legends as Guy Clark and Nanci Griffith, Ian Hunter and Alejandro Escovedo, an unlikely combination until you hear Amy’s songs. The Houston Press called her “The unconscious cool of Americana,” nodding to the lean poetry of her rootsy folk, an edge possibly learned busking in the subways of NYC, or playing Juliet in parking lot productions of “Romeo & Juliet”. But it’s her voice that catches the audience off guard. A crystal clear voice with an emotional catch and a fluttering vibrato that seems grounded in another era yet somehow speaks to this one. As Mary Gauthier says, "There are voices that serve as a bridge from the past to the future and act as soul connectors, and as a people we need them to keep singing. These voices open hearts with this rare, one in a million quality. Amy Speace has such a voice. Just ask the legendarily discerning Judy Collins; she'll tell you. Amy's got it, and then some. She is a timeless artist, a time traveler. Part past, part future. And that’s a good thing, a really good thing." Good press photos and hi rez versions of Concert Poster for download: http://www.amyspeace.com/press Good videos to link to your Evite for new fans of Amy’s: http://www.amyspeace.com/videos/ House Concert fan-video footage of Amy performing at other House Concerts you can link to: From Montclair, NJ House Concert 2010 “Manila Street” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdE6U4K1P8Q “Half Asleep & Wide Awake” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqhoKcAMWHk From Park City Utah House Concert 2010 (small sound system) “The Killer In Me” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXPoqq4t1b0

From Possum Hollow Log Cabin Concerts, 2011 “Hard Times” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Mt-Bb1rSc0 For an example of stories I sometimes tell at shows, of course, this one was considerably longer than most I do, but you’ll understand why. From The Bieroc Café, McCook, NE 2010. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78Y0nHxxdW8 And we may even have some House Concert email invitations others have used, so if you’d like examples, please feel free to contact us.