Jim Davis’ passion for music and live performances has led him to holding his own concerts within his home in Moorestown. While Davis has always loved live concerts, the intimacy of a small house concert is what he truly enjoys.
“I first attended a house concert about six or seven years ago,” said Davis. “I saw that an artist was performing in the paper and I wanted to go. I assumed that it was just a church or something in Moorestown, but when I pulled into the parking lot, there was no one there.”
“Eventually, someone pulled up next to me and I asked if the concert was cancelled,” Davis continued. “They told me ‘no’ and that it was across the street inside the house. I went and they were setting up in the living room. It was like a meet and greet. I really enjoyed it and thought maybe I should do something like this.”
One year while Davis was on vacation, he and his wife ended up going to the Key West Songwriters Festival. According to Davis, the music was so good that they decided to keep going back each day and extending their vacation. While Davis and his wife were at the festival, they ended up meeting a lot of songwriters, and with Davis’ natural passion for music and his idea for his own house concerts, the idea was possible.
“The first year, we met Even Stevens,” said Davis. “He is one of the top songwriters from Nashville. He’s written over 2,500 songs and as had 45 or so number one hits. He’s very revered in Nashville and he introduced us and recommended us to different artists.
“We’ve been doing it for the last six or seven years, and we’ve had everything from New Orleans blues to what I call country rock,” Davis continued. “The music varies, but we have to like the music and like the people that are coming. It’s a very intimate setting and musical experience.”
According to Davis, the intimate invite-only setting allows for the artist to tell the stories behind their music. A typical house concert will include about a 45-minute meet and greet at the beginning of the night, a potluck dinner, about an hour of playing from the musician, dessert and then a second session.
“It’s very relaxed,” said Davis. “As the artists are traveling through the country, they’ll stop by for a few days. I enjoy the music, but also the relationships that are created. When the artists come, they stay with us. We try to expose them to the people of Moorestown and they expose us to their industry.
“It’s a hobby of ours.” Davis continued. “We’ve done about 25 to 30 shows. One year we did nine, but when you do it that much it seems like work and you could burn out your audience. We try to stay around three or four times a year. Our next show we are having Paul Mcdonald come perform for us, I’m looking forward to it.”
