Family opens house to neighbours for folk concerts

Family opens house to neighbours for folk concerts. North of Queen perform in the living room of Joanna and Allan Mills' home on O'Hara Ave. during one of the couple's O'Hara House Concerts where musicians take the stage in the bay window of the Mills' home. Photo/COURTESY

They are called O'Hara House Concerts and feature local, Canadian, and international singer/songwriters from the acoustic/roots music traditions.

Musicians play right in the bay window of the Mills living room, before a packed house of no more than about 35 people. And although it may seem odd or intimidating for some who haven't experienced a house concert, Joanna Mills said house concerts are absolutely the best way to take in live music.

"It is the intimacy with the artist," Mills explained. "You can see their faces while they are singing, you can hear every nuance of their voice and you are close enough that it feels like they are singing just to you."

The experience can be just as special for the artist, she continued.

"I have watched artists just start glowing," Mills said. "To have 30 people staring at you and really listening and smiling or nodding or laughing at the little humour lines in your song... you never get that anywhere else."

The couple, who have lived in their home for the past 13 years, held their first house concert in October of 2010. Mills explained a dear friend and musician, Manitoba Hal, was coming through Ontario on a tour from the East Coast.

House concerts tend to be a more popular venue for musicians on the east and west coasts of the country and Manitoba Hal, a ukulele blues man, had told Mills, who is a musician herself, about them.

She decided to offer her Parkdale home to Manitoba Hal for a show. He agreed to play and Mills's band, an eight-piece folk-grass ensemble called North of Queen, opened the night.

"We actually had a really packed house that night; I think there were 36 people here," Mills said. "It was amazing, and I just loved it so much that I said to him, 'the next time you are in town lets do it again.'"

The second time they held a concert at the house with Manitoba Hal, Mills's husband, who was out of town for the first show, was blown away by the event. Mills said that's when she and her husband decided to start a series.

Since then the family has hosted a number of "magical" concerts, Mills said. O'Hara House Concerts are held about once every six weeks with a break in the summer months.

The O'Hara House Concerts focus on anything acoustic and coming from the folk, bluegrass, blues and occasionally gospel traditions.

"It is the perfect kind of music for this kind of an intimate setting," she said. "If you try to go listen to folk music in a bar, often it isn't loud enough to hear the story and folk music is a story. It is like a little novel and you have to listen to all the words."

Her two children, ages 12 and 14, love having their home opened up to these concerts.

"My daughter especially - her friends will often buy tickets to come with their parents," Mills said. "And they love it."

Further to that, Mills said, the music has inspired her daughter musically and she has started to write songs and learn new instruments.

Mills said there is seating for about 30 people and occasionally people will stand in the back of the room to see the show. People who pre-purchase a ticket are guaranteed a seat, after that admittance is first-come, first-served until the space reaches standing room.

All of the money from ticket sales goes directly to the artist playing.

"Even though we only charge about $10 a person, if we sell out, that is $300," Mills said. "We serve non-alcoholic drinks and snacks and that comes out of our pocket and we ask people, if they want to drink, to just bring a bottle to share."

On Feb. 10, O'Hara House will again feature Manitoba Hal and Mo Kauffey.

"(Manitoba Hal) is going to do a ukulele workshop and a dinner, because he is also a bit of a foodie," Mills said.

Pricing is still being worked out, but the idea is that Manitoba Hal will prepare a meal and then give the workshop, which will be followed by a concert with Mo Kauffey.

David Newland, who will release his first-ever studio record Give It A Whirl at the end of January, is scheduled to perform at O'Hara House on March 22.

"He is a really great storyteller," Mills said. "Evenings with him are this mix of anecdotes and philosophy and music."

For more information on the O'Hara House Concerts visit http://oharahouseconcerts.webs.com or join their Facebook group.