Shannon Curtis Is Touring on Her Own Terms, And It’s Really Paying Off

A few years back, singer/songwriter Shannon Curtis decided to do something kind of unorthodox: she completely abandoned traditional club touring. Most musicians – both up and coming, and more established bands – dream of going on tour, and see it as the best way to get new fans, sustain their lifestyle, and allow their music to have the broadest impact. Despite the obvious benefits of club and traditional venue touring, Curtis packed up her act back in 2011 in favor of playing house shows, and so far, she hasn’t looked back.

Explains Curtis, “House concert touring has been better for me as an artist on every measurable career level. I make more new fans, I get more signups on my email list, I sell more CDs/tees/totes, and a I generate more income,” of how playing shows in people’s homes rather than in concert halls or bars has really been paying off. “Perhaps more importantly,” she says, “the lack of traditional audience/performer barriers allows me to make strong, deep connections with people” of the kind of intimacy that is cultivated in a house show rather than a massive venue.

The Huffington Post calls Curtis “a new evangelist for an age-old tradition,” an appropriate description of a woman who is revamping her career by following her own rules. Curtis knows that her newfound love of playing house shows is perceived by many music industry heavyweights as a step backwards career-wise. “It’s totally antithetical to what we normally get fed in terms of music and entertainment,” she admits, of the way her penchant for playing house shows goes against what most pop culture tells us is “good.”

Curtis has already played 150 house concerts since late 2011, and with a new book coming out – “No Booker, No Bouncer, No Bartender: How I Made $25K On A 2-Month House Concert Tour (And How You Can Too) – and more tour dates lined up, she shows no signs of slowing down. 

Learn more about Shannon Curtis’ music and her experiences playing house shows on her official website.

Images: shannoncurtismusic via Instagram