A new intimate concert culture has people opening their homes to music gigs, stand-up shows, performance art and a bunch of unknown guests
Rohan Kamath and Ilina Hats at a Beatmap party. Pic courtesy/Sanchi Kalani
There was chocolate cake, pizza and beer. As the crowd refilled their glasses and settled on mattresses on the floor, some one took out their guitar and started singing. There was laughter, awkward stories, impromptu performances and the night ended with everyone singing jazzy Bollywood songs.
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Ramya Pothuri and Ronit Sarkar of The Living Room Tour at the latter’s house in Pali Hill
It was a house party in a living room in Andheri, but with a difference. This one had 20 strangers and two performers, brought together by Beatmap, a platform that helps find suitable venues for artistes to perform or display their art. The space, in this case, is someone's home.
A Sofar gig. Pic courtesy/Sahil Kotwani
Living rooms have become the new stage. People are opening up their homes, and allowing strangers into their living rooms, to watch a gig, theatrical performance or a comedy act. "It is all about strangers, conversation and art. Think about it: no party is complete without someone strumming the guitar or breaking into a song or may be doing a comedy bit. This is a house party, but more structured," says Hari Sankar, who co-founded Beatmap in 2015.
Mohit Mukhi at a House Concert. Pic courtesy/Benjie Thomas
This Saturday, Beatmap will be organising their twelfth house party in Worli, featuring comedian Kautuk Srivastava. Elsewhere, the gig series, The Living Room Tour (TLRT) is hosting a music gig at a Chembur studio-cum-home, featuring Lawntuba, Tejas, Gowri Jayakumar, and Ramya Pothuri. The recently-launched House Concerts Mumbai will see Vernon Noronha, Anand Bhaskar Collective and Daira perform at a home in Kandivli next weekend, followed by a screening of indie films. And, later this month, the city edition of music events start-up, Sofar Sounds, is hosting a secret gig.
Aprtim Agrawal and Hari Sankar
Meet the players
TLRT was launched last September by singer-songwriters Ramya Pothuri and Ronit Sarkar, and musician/producer Rishi Bradoo. The idea came to Pothuri when she was trying to decide where to launch her debut EP, We Never Left. "Most people usually do gigs. I realised I don't want to be distracted by people talking or laughing. I wanted my music to be appreciated by those who were interested in it," she says.
They invited other artistes and did a three-gig series in three different living rooms, including Bradoo's in Chembur and Sarkar's in Bandra. The first gig saw 20 people sign up; the next two had more than 50. "We had people telling us to continue this series. We want to take it slow, and not do a rush of events," she explains, adding that the gigs are free but they accept voluntary contributions from guests towards the artistes.
Beatmap hosts five house parties a month. The entry charge is '500, and they take home a curation fee. "We started out by offering unconventional locations where people could come and watch performance art. Slowly, all our gigs started happening in people's homes. There's a simplicity and authenticity in sitting in someone's home, with a bunch of strangers, listening to an artiste perform," elaborates Sankar. Earlier editions have featured Ankur Tewari and psychological illusionist Shikhar Kamat. "We have a variety of artistes and genres...whatever you think fits into a party," says Sankar.
The focus at Sofar Sounds is on the music so artist curation is important. "We curate performers that come with varied influences and years of experience such that our guests get an opportunity to both, watch established artistes up close, and discover upcoming acts on the same night," says Arul Kacker, city leader, Sofar Sounds.
House Concert has music as its focus but they also organise accompanying events like film screenings and art exhibitions. The Delhi platform made its debut in Mumbai in April. "We want to build a community where we encourage artistes and different art forms," says Shaikh Afsha, chapter leader for Mumbai.
Backstage pass
It's a win-win for everyone - artistes perform for an attentive, engaged audience; the audience attends an intimate concert while the hosts interact with interesting people, without leaving their home.
"This is a different experience. You get to know more people, hear more stories, and there's always something fun happening. When you are on a night out, it is restricted to drinking and dancing, and that's it. There's not much conversation, and if there is, it is limited to the people at your table. When you're in a stranger's living room, you are forced to talk to them," says Aprtim Agrawal, whose Vile Parle home was the venue for Beatmap's House Party 9.
At Beatmap, it is mandatory that guests come alone. They can bring their own food and alcohol. After the performance, people are encouraged to hang around and talk to each other; this after-party usually goes on till late in the night.
The criteria for selecting the houses are simple: the living room should be able to accommodate 25 people or more and the society shouldn't have any restrictions. "We make sure the host gets a great experience too," says Sankar, adding that they bring along chips, cold drinks and cups for every event, and ensure they clean up after.
Over at House Concert, an RSVP is important because of limited seating, and depending on the space and the host's preference, alcohol and food is allowed. The upcoming gig will see the host actually whip up a few special dishes. All donations (between '300 to '500), are given to the performers. "The focus is music but people usually end up staying back, to talk and jam with others," she adds.
Rabia Kapoor, a literature student and spoken word artiste, is a regular at Beatmap's house parties. "It is difficult for me to go out and socialise. There's no other way to meet new people. This is an intimate setting that encourages me to talk to others," she shares. "You are assured a good time."
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