Our Danish American House Concert series is a chance to experience live music in a warm and intimate environment. We have created a series of concerts presented in our home by professional musicians. It is not a business but merely a means for enjoying live music among friends and fans. We’re building a tradition where the audience goes to concerts to listen to the words as well as the music. Because they have been burned so many times elsewhere, some folks have a hard time believing that our concerts will be of the quality that they are.
We began presenting house concerts in Denmark in 2003 because one of the big things missing in Copenhagen was a venue for a good acoustic singer-songwriter concert. It was successful largely because a lot of people had just given up on finding the kind of music they were used to hearing only on recordings. We’re aficionados who began doing this because we love to be able to share great music with others.
We have relocated to Santa Cruz County and want to continue providing a friendly place to enjoy Americana [folk, roots, alternative country, blue grass] and light jazz music.
You want the music and we’ve got it, but don’t be shy! The door is often ajar, and you can just come on in. We open up our home in Aptos and invite you into our living room to share in a performance by talented professional singer-songwriters. They have recorded CDs and played before audiences ranging from a few dozen to a few thousand. Performers include artists on tour from their home towns in the Americas, as well as the occasional visiting musician from Denmark, Scandinavia, or other parts of Europe.
A house concert is a great social afternoon or evening with friends and neighbors. We ask a donation for each concert, usually $10-15 per person. Seating is limited, and usually goes fast, so be sure to get your reservations in early. Directions to the venue are provided via email or phone once your seating has been reserved. We average between 20 and 30 people for most of our house concerts, but the number fluctuates a bit. We set up enough chairs for a cozy atmosphere in our living room, which has high ceilings and very good acoustics. Danish American House Concerts is a non-smoking venue. We go for the warm and cozy feel. Dress is casual.
Each concert consists of two 45-minute sets with a 20-minute intermission. This is a time during each of our concerts when you chat with the artist and mingle with friends. We offer a dessert buffet: tea, coffee, soft drinks and treats including cookies, cakes, and pies, as well as a variety of fruit - there is always something to enjoy. All of this is provided through the recommended donation.
We host about eight concerts each year. We send out monthly announcements of upcoming performances via our e-mail list of addresses. As a courtesy to our neighbors, our shows are on Friday or Saturday nights, or Sunday afternoons and end at a reasonable hour.
Our website is the design work of the multi-talented Mark Swindell. Kudos goes to Mark for creating maintaining the site.
Want to attend?
Just send us an e-mail to DanishAmerican@hotmail.com and tell us how many reservations you would like to make. If you have never been here before, you'll need directions, so be sure to tell us where you are coming from! We will send you a confirmation e-mail telling you that we've added you to the VIP list.
We hope you’ll join us!
Ron & Kirsten
Contact:
Kirsten Thomsen and Ron Sandidge
303 Doris Avenue
Aptos, California
tel. (831) 684-1134
DanishAmerican@hotmail.com.