People who call the Coulee Region home are no strangers to live music. In fact, throw a dart at a map of local bars on any given day of the week, and it's a near-guarantee that you'll find something aurally pleasing: a groovy blues show at Nighthawk's, a foot-stompin' jam session at The Popcorn, or a smooth jazz set at Bodega. Since January 2009, a new venue has been added to this proverbial map; a charming house snuggled up against the bluffs in northern Holmen, where Dave Schipper and his wife, Lori, invite nationally touring musicians to play a handful of house concerts a year, right in their living room.
Pull into the driveway, and you're likely to find Dave kicked back on his porch, strumming on an acoustic guitar and occasionally taking a sip out of a glass of wine. A longtime music-lover (the guy has over 3,000 albums on vinyl) and musician himself, Dave stumbled into the house concert scene almost unintentionally through social networking sites.
"I got on MySpace mainly to connect with other musicians because my hope and desire was to someday be covered as a songwriter," he explains. Meanwhile, a folk-singing friend of the Schippers was trying to raise money for a church trip to South America. When asked if they would be up for hosting a concert at their house as a fundraiser, the couple was enthusiastic to help.
"I've always loved music," Dave states, reminiscing about discovering hidden gems at the music store while growing up in Manitowoc and religiously attending countless blues and folk festivals throughout the years. "So," he continues, "it was just kind of in my background. We said, 'Oh yeah, we could do this!'"
Their old two-car garage, which had been beautifully transformed into a cozy great room, was now set up for a string of concerts more intimate than you'd find at any bar. A couple of cushy couches are pushed back against a wall to make room for up to 40 chairs, which are lined up spaciously along the plush carpet. Microphones are set up in a corner for the musicians, with an expansive shelved book collection as an unintentional backdrop. Also standing tall in a couple of different corners are two large speakers and a mixer, which Dave stresses is an absolute necessity.
"It doesn't make sense not to have a sound system," he explains. "Without the sound, you can't just sit back and have an experience. With the sound, the whole room is full ... you don't have to stare and say, 'What are they saying?!'."
With the scene set, what followed was a string of successful bookings, including Heather Waters, a self-described indie, ambient folk singer who now resides in California. "She came here and just filled the room with this really kind of gutsy country voice," Dave gushes. "After that, [the concert series] just cascaded."
Now, the Schippers host around four concerts a year. The format is so low key, almost endearingly so, in that people who wish to attend a show simply place a call to the Schippers' home to make a reservation, a necessity only due to the capacity of the room. There's often some kind of homemade cookies and snacks — if not a full-on potluck dinner — on the table, and you're free to bring a bottle of wine or a six-pack of your favorite beer. Dave is also adamant about pointing out the fact that the whole experience is essentially free, albeit a $10 suggested donation for expenses.
"I don't make any money on this," he says. "I'm not gonna collect tickets, I can't sell you liquor when you come in, it's B.Y.O.B...it's just a party!" Dave's main motivation, then, is solely for a more profound musical experience: hearing artists for the first time, and sharing that excitement with the other like-minded people in an intimate audience.
"What do I get out of this thing," he asks, smiling. "I import [the concert] and I have a copy of it. It's the proverbial bootleg! Live music, clean as can be, and I get a great mix."
Still, one finds themselves wondering: Why a house concert? Why would I drive out to a some guy's house, sit on his couch and listen to music among strangers?
"Somebody asked me once," Dave begins, chuckling, "'Why would you ever open up your house to strangers?!' You finally end up saying that they're really not strangers ultimately, because they like the same music. They wouldn't be coming if they didn't like the music."
The venue the Schippers have created is, simply put, a beautiful place to listen to music. "It's probably one of the better listening rooms that you'll ever get because, number one, everyone's attentive," Dave explains. Without the background din of the bars — or even a busy cafe — the experience of a house concert promises to be deliciously different than what you're used to, aesthetically as well as musically.
"Some [musicians] are gonna be bluesy, some celtic, some country or bluegrass," Dave explains. "If you're a person who goes for the eclectic, just come and listen. If not, pick a show you'd like and come find out about it!"
For info about the shows check out Dave's blog: www.bluffviewconcerts.blogspot.com |
