In a dimly lit basement, a stranger’s sweat seeps into my skin. My ears are beating from the indistinguishable rhythms of oppressively loud drum kits. Mosh pits merge and scatter around me as students headbang uncontrollably. This is the House Show, an essential component of the college music scene.
So, how do we bring this exquisite, wild and life-changing music scene to Smith College?
First, you do not need a house for a house show. “House” is more of a placeholder for a nontraditional concert venue — think basement, woods, apartment, classroom, et cetera. Just be creative; as long as there is a power outlet, there can be a house show.
Now it’s time to find a band. Luckily, bands are crawling all over the valley, desperately searching for gigs. All you have to do is direct message bands after some intense Instagram stalking. Try searching through accounts from music venues and UMass music clubs. Also, you can ask a WOZQ DJ? because they will know some local bands (and many WOZQers are in bands themselves!). Remember: the actual talent of the band is irrelevant. As long as they play music you can dance to, they can play a house show.
Now that you have three or four bands, a date and a location, you can make your flier. To begin, use this simple rule: the more illegible the poster, the better the house show. Cut off the band’s names, or use so many graphics you can’t read the address. Make the reader work for it. This level of obscurity needs to be carried into how you distribute your posters. Slip it into your crush’s notebook, slide it to the person next to you in the bathroom stall or make a private Instagram story with the ultimatum that if your friends do not come to the house show, you will never talk to them again. Live up to this ultimatum.
You will need supplies. Think band-provided amps and a microphone with such a poorly mixed sound that you can’t understand the lyrics. For party supplies, try a $15 disco ball from Amazon — bonus points for using lights and supplies from your Smith house (just make sure you return them). For security, find a faded bouncer and give them a dry Sharpie to mark who paid the $5 cover for the bands. Finally, find a replacement after the one band drops out the hour before and you are ready to start the show.
Now that the setup is covered, the audience will take care of the rest: inappropriately-timed mosh pits, PDA, egregiously large backpacks and dancers with no spatial awareness. These are the classic elements of a house show crowd.
However, the audience may still need some direction to ensure a safe and comfortable environment for everyone. Since the house show exists outside of formal institutions, you can set the crowd’s values with intention! Following and promoting a set of radical and inclusive values in order to create a culture of accountability and safety is vital, especially with the historic dangers that house shows have held for femmes and people of color. Promoting accountability could look like posters and announcements asking people to be respectful of their space and surroundings, to publicly call out any violating behavior, to ensuring people ask for consent before dancing or touching someone. This could also look like white people paying for the cover, while BIPOC get in for free. Acknowledging and navigating the systems that oppress and divide us will help prevent these systems from affecting our space!
After the show, the audience will leave sweaty with sore necks from head banging and large smiles from the satisfying feeling of dancing to their peers’ music. The unmatched joy from experiencing music at a DIY house show will make all the painful planning worth it. Knowing that you can put on an event that brings happiness, community, fun and promotes local music is a beautiful thing, especially when the space is safe and welcoming of everyone.
Most importantly, it’s a college house show, not the Super Bowl halftime show, so the stakes are low and the desire to party is high. Enjoy the process and the connections you make, have fun and dance your heart out!
yess roz i loved this