The idea for a house concert is a simple one. Find a talented group of
musicians that love to play their
music for a small group of fans who really want to listen to songs and you have a
winning combination.
The featured artist for an upcoming house concert in New Braunfels is Big Wide Grin, a great bi-coastal trio consisting of Elaine Dempsey, Lawrence Lambert and Karl Werne. All three members sing and play
various instruments and make regular tours across the country to an ever growing fan base.
Local hostess Elaine Hayden said she first saw the band performing at a house concert series called Urban Campfires in San
Antonio.
“It’s been going on for about 18 years and many fans from New Braunfels attend shows there,” she said.
“After attending house concerts in Austin and San Antonio, I had the idea to start doing them here in New Braunfels. We started this past April and it worked out well. During the summer, we had Shake Russell and we had a very good turnout. Sunday seems to be a good day for the musicians because many have regular gigs on Friday and Saturday nights. The biggest challenge with house concerts is getting an audience.”
These shows offer a very unique way to enjoy live music. There are no rowdy drunks in the corner talking loudly with their friends, most are non-smoking and there’s usually a potluck dinner server between sets. How much better can it get?
Hayden will be host a house concert 4:30 p.m., Sunday. The suggested donation at the door is $15 and music starts at 5 p.m.
For more information on this show along with directions, contact Hayden at 830-625-0859 or visit myspace.com/nbhouseconcerts.

Jeff Strahan has been a bluesman for years, starting his first band at 12 in his hometown of Lamesa. Influenced by touring acts such as ZZ Top, Ted Nugent and Albert Collins that often passed through town, Strahan found himself leaning more toward the blues. He migrated to Austin in the early 1980s and played in countless cover bands. After getting tired of knocking on doors that rarely opened, Strahan returned to college where he earned a law degree and became a successful trial lawyer. For the next 10 years, be practiced law, wrote songs and honed his musical chops. With five successful albums under his belt, he felt it was time to record a live CD and he’s picked local venue, Billy’s Ice, to capture his live show on Saturday.
“Actually Billy’s picked us,” said Strahan, calling recently from a pit stop on the road. “We’d been thinking of doing a live album for quite some time. We were going to record several shows at different bars and put them all together. Then Billy’s suggested we record it there and we liked the idea, so we accepted the offer,” he said.
“We want to invite all our fans to come and share in the fun. Once we get the equipment ready, we’ll get started about 9:30 or 10 p.m. Our sponsor is Genesee Cream Ale and they will be there with T-shirts and koozies. It’s going to be a big rocking night and a lot of fun.
“I hope to get the recording done in the first two hours, and then we can just get crazy and have fun for the rest of the night. Who knows, we might even have a surprise guest or two show up to join in the fun. I don’t mind playing long sets if the crowd is good and we’re having a good time. We just seem to fit in at Billy’s and have always had a good time there.”
Now, they can capture the magic on tape so mark your calendars now and make plans to be part of this special night.