About Us

HOSTS: Greg & Juliet B. Pool
LOCATION: Carmel Valley, California (Monterey Peninsula)
MUSIC: acoustic, Americana, roots, folk, and Celtic
WHEN: Saturday afternoons, bi-monthly (six times/year at our house) and elsewhere in Carmel Valley on off months.
WHEN: Weeknights, live-to-tape-to-podcast interview/performance (any time of year)
VENUE: 30-40 inside, 40-50 outside (summer months)
INVITATIONS: sent via email
TICKETS: none, donations encouraged
CONTACT: RSVP, mailing list, or comment

Frequently Asked Questions
More house concerts around the Monterey Bay
How to put on a house concert
Radio promotion opportunities
Other venues and promoters around the Monterey Bay

Our house concerts are small, invitation-only parties on the Monterey Peninsula (California) for friends who tire of having to drive to Santa Cruz or the Bay Area to see great music.

Our group likes to hear acoustic Americana, roots, folk, and Celtic, and we like to book two ways:

SATURDAY afternoon house concerts starting at 3 p.m.
WEEKNIGHTS for an in-studio live-to-tape-to-podcast interview / performance (optional studio audience)

On a Saturday afternoon, our living/dining room can hold 30-40 people; out backyard can hold 40-50 (summer months; see photo to the left). For performers, we have two beds and plenty of floor space for sleeping bags, and we'd be happy to cook you a wild-caught salmon dinner (if it's in season!).

And all proceeds collected at the door go to the performer.

After a Saturday house concert or on a weeknight, we like to interview the performer for about 10-15 minutes, which typically includes a three-song set encore. This results in a regular show we post off our website that people can download and listen to on their portable media devices. We call it the After Show Podcast at Tree House Concerts.

We put it all up on a page dedicated to the performer, along with pictures from that night as well as a web log of interesting anecdotes, and send it out to the 500-member House Concert discussion group at Yahoo. It means your exposure at our house concerts goes well beyond the 30-40 folks who show up!

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

A. Exactly that! A performer stands on our rug in front of 30-40 invited guests and sings their heart out.

A. We'd love to book for a coffeehouse (hint, hint!), but when we started in 2003 there weren't any that were doing live music, much less those who wanted to book the artists we like. So we did it ourselves!

A. For lots of reasons, we hold invitation-only private parties where it just so happens a performer shows up and you can donate directly to their pocketbook. That means we aren't a "public accommodation," like a coffeehouse or concert hall.

A. Nope. We aren't a business, so we can't sell you one. You can ask for an invitation, and upon RSVP you can come by and donate directly to the artist. We'll also put you on our email list for future shows!

A. The Tree House is nestled in a sunny, verdant valley on the Monterey Peninsula, easily accessible from the known highways yet secluded from the buzz of modern life. Once you RSVP we'll give you all the details!

A. From 2003-2007, our first location was in Pacific Grove, and before the sun went down, if you stood in our living room and looked out west towards the Pacific Ocean, yes ... it did look like you were way up in the pine trees!

In 2008, we moved inland to sunny Carmel Valley, where the view of the trees got a little bit better, if not more spectuacular.

A. We write to most of them, via email. A few have written us out of the blue. We check out their music on their websites or at CDBaby.com and look where else they've played. We also look for recommendations on the House Concerts Yahoo Group.

A. Steve Zmak, a local graphic designer and black/white photographer. He also did my contact card (GIF). We had a wire-frame version done by Sten Hoiland while at the Strawberry Music Festival in 2006. We hang it in the window behind the stage (picture).

ARTISTS

A. We can't. We're not a business. We're a residence and this is merely a private party where the artist just happens to perform.

A: Nope. You'll get some die-hards who might make the two-hour round trip (we were one of them!) but it's hard enough to get locals to go to a local show on the Monterey Peninsula. You can book in both Santa Cruz and Monterey without a problem.

A. Nope, although we have a guitar/mic amp (Crate TX15), one mic stand and one guitar stand, but they rarely get used except for those folks who's fingerpicking style is very subtle (e.g. Michael McNevin in 2005). Otherwise, sound carries well in our living room, and our guests are quite and attentive because they think a pop quiz is coming up after every song.

MORE HOUSE CONCERTS AROUND THE MONTEREY BAY

The promoters of the area have formed an announcement-only mailing list for all the events that occur around the Peninsula and elsewhere. We'll still use our own lists to promote shows, but this is the one-stop-shop for all live acoustic music shows in our area. To join, send mail to peninsulamusic-subscribe @ yahoogroups.com or visit http://groups.yahoo.com/group/peninsulamusic/

The Zerbe/Morris homestead is featuring Americana, roots and blues in their home, "to preserve an appreciation of live music, to promote both established and emerging musicians, and to provide a unique and intimate listening experience both for the performer and the audience." Contact them at roosthouse @ gmail.com or visit roosthouse.com

Sierra Dehmler likes to book independent folk and pop artists in her home. Here's a sample. Contact her at montereyhouseconcerts @ gmail.com

Joe and Auburn Velasquez host big parties in their backyard (80 seats) and inside, too. Usually blues or jazz. Contact them at jandagardenvenue @ gmail.com or visit thevenue1.blogspot.com

Robin is a roots fiddle player that likes to book similiar acts in her home, including lessons by the artists! Contact her at robinwelch @ gmail.com

We proudly associated with the now defunct Arden's Garden, a former local public-access television show in Monterey that was non-commercial and community-supported. Arden is a local DJ at KPIG who offered performers a 80-seat venue for a three camera, hour-long taping of your performance.

Arden occasionally books (mostly) acoustic artists in a variety of venues. More information at http://ArdensGarden.org

Hans & Elizabeth are hosting great acoustic musicians at their house. Contact them at ejannasch @ mac.com

Thelma & Charlie infrequently feature roots, folk and Contra dance music in their home. Contact them at thelma @ mbay.net

Magnus Toren has produced a wide spectrum of shows around Monterey County, from singer/songwriter Ellis Paul to rocker Patti Smith. More information at HenryMiller.org

Jeff Emery and Andrea Webster inspired our house concert series, held in their beautiful home in Felton, on the way to Henfling's. Call (831) 335-1310 or write to jefmry at cruzio.com for more information. They try to book once a month and have had years of wonderful shows.

Jeff is a DJ on KZSC on Sundays from noon to 2 pm. His show is called "Backroads" after the Kate Wolf song, and he features lesser known and upcoming singer-songwriters.

Fred and Sharon Munroe have started up a house concert series north of San Luis Obispo. It's the nearest house concert venue south of Tree House Concerts (about two hours south), so we hope to route many of the same artists along the California coast! More information at MusicaDelRio.org

These are stations we pick up on the south end of the Monterey Bay that play music heard at Tree House Concerts and who would gladly plug your Tree House show if seats are still available. Many would offer the chance to play live.

Sundays, 10 am-noon
KPIG 107.5 FM
http://www.kpig.com
Show: "Please Stand By"
DJ: Sleepy John
Email: sleepy at cruzio.com
Location: Watsonville

Fridays, 9 am-noon
KZSC 88.1 FM
http://www.kzsc.org
Show: "Heaven's Bar and Grill"
DJ: Clytia Fuller
Email: clytia at cruzio.com
Location: Santa Cruz

Sundays, noon-2 pm
KZSC 88.1 FM
http://www.kzsc.org
Show: "Backroads"
DJ: Jeff Emery
Email: jefmry at cruzio.com
Location: Santa Cruz

East Village Coffee Lounge
Location: Monterey, located at the old Morgan's Coffee and Tea
Owners: Yvonne Boltze, Nancy Mouat and Dean McAthie
Phone: 831.373.5601

The Ol' Factory Cafe
Location: Sand City
Owner: Morgan Christopher, from the old Morgan's Coffee and Tea
CLOSED on November 18, 2009

Snazzy Productions
Venues: Kuumbwa Jazz Center, Rio Theater, Santa Cruz Civic
Locations: Santa Cruz

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

ARTISTS

MORE HOUSE CONCERTS AROUND THE MONTEREY BAY