In a time when small venues are hard to come by, the ultimate intimate venue has emerged: a house. Although house concerts have been around for quite some time, their popularity has risen greatly in the past few years.

Social media outlets like Twitter and Facebook along with crowd-funding sites like Kickstarter and Indiegogo have allowed house concerts to flourish. Artists, especially those who are on the rise, are taking advantage of house concerts as a way to grow their fan bases and build credibility.

In terms of performance, a house concert is about as up-close-and-personal as it gets, because unlike venues with private green rooms for artists to lounge in before and after shows, house concerts provide the opportunity for artists to be fully available to 
their audience.

In the midst of its music scene revitalization, Birmingham has caught on to the house concert phenomena. The Waldreps started hosting concerts in their Southside home and have since dubbed their home “Common House.” The Common House has a website, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram with updates on upcoming concert dates or videos from previous shows.

For attendees who are 21 and up, the Common House encourages BYOB. Most shows are priced at an affordable $10 with complimentary tea and coffee, which is a deal hard to beat, especially considering the authenticity of each performance and the inability to have a “bad seat.”

Luckily, Tuscaloosa is only a short 45-minute drive away, which makes middle-of-the-week concert trips doable. Although the address is not listed publicly on their site, upon purchasing a ticket online, ticket buyers will receive a confirmation email with the address attached.

Artists hosted at the Common House are typically local to Birmingham, but the Waldreps hope to begin hosting more and more artists from across the country. Previous performers have included Verdue, James Mullins, An Atlas to Follow, The Matchcoats and 
Craig Stilley.

This exciting new venture has been well-received since its beginning, and each show has been considered a success. The Common House serves as a testament to the growing music community of Birmingham. If you’re interested in checking out the venue for yourself, you can find more information about upcoming shows at commonhousebham.com.

The Common Houses’s next show will be Saturday, Sept. 27. Tennessee natives Cole Washburn and Matt Hectorne will perform. Washburn’s sounds can be categorized as Americana while Hectorne takes a more pop-folk route.