FAQ

Answers to Frequently Anticipated Questions:

Let’s cut to the chase…. Here are the answers to the questions we anticipate being asked most frequently.

To receive concert announcements, click Subscribe on the menu bar.

Donation: Payment is by donation. Current suggested donation per person for each concert is $20. All but cost of chair rental, ($100-150 depending on number of seats) of the donated proceeds will go to the artists, $150 to the youth/student band, the remainder to our headliners.

Donations should be in cash, just drop them in the “Jar” as you arrive. Please understand that parking, and therefore seating, is limited, so if you say you’ll attend, by reserving seats in advance, the artists arrive with a certain expectation of your generosity – this after all, is how they are paid, by your donations. If you do not attend and don’t inform us by Friday Noon prior to the concert, we will expect you to mail a donation to support the artist regardless.

When you reserve a seat(s), you’ll receive an email with a PDF ticket attached. Please present it at the entrance so we know who did attend – drop your ticket in the “bowl” or sign the guest list if you don’t have it. Otherwise we’ll send you an email asking you to send a donation for that concert. If you’re uncertain of your plans, it might be better to postpone reserving seats until you are pretty sure you can make it. Just let us know by Friday Noon before the concert so we won’t feel compelled to ask for your donation. Thanks ahead for understanding.

Potluck: We suggest guests  bring a dish or beverage to share to help create an afternoon “potluck” for all, customary of the House Concert experience all over the country.

Attendance is by reservation only.

To Reserve Seats, click the Reserve button on the menu bar. You will see a list of upcoming concerts. Usually, tickets will only be available for the very next concert and become available at 6PM the evening of the previous concert. Indicate the number of tickets you want to “register” in your name, then click the Register button. You will be taken to the Eventbrite website and asked to complete your “purchase.” Enter your name and the email address to which you want your tickets delivered.

Honor System: Donations should be in cash and will be collected as you enter the concert stage area. We operate on the Honor System, so if you are a no show and you reserved a seat that someone else might have used, we expect you to send a donation (check) that we can use to support that artist. 48 hours notice, however, works for us.

When are concerts held? Concerts are usually presented on a Sunday – see the dates scheduled in the Tickets screen – from 2:00 – 4:30 PM. Opening at 2:00 will be a youth/student band from the SRJC, local high schools, the SSU Jazz program, the Jazz School of Berkeley, etc. while guests mingle and share an afternoon potluck of snacks and beverages, including wine. The headline performance will begin at from 3:00 PM. Note that the Azar Lawrence concert begins one hour earlier. See hour home page for details.

Where are the concerts? The house is located in the Brush Creek area of Rincon Valley, roughly a half mile north of Montecito, off Brush Creek Drive. For the sake of privacy and security, we don’t publish it on the website. You will receive precise directions and parking instructions in an email the day before each concert. Thanks for understanding.

Waiting List: Evenbrite will maintain a waiting list once 100 (or whatever number we specify) seats are reserved. If you are on the waiting list, Eventbrite will send you an email as soon as a new ticket becomes available through cancellation or if we find we can increase the number of seats for some reason. You will have 12 hours to claim a ticket before it is released to the next person on the list.

Volunteers: We need volunteers who, apart from donating to support the musicians, donate a small amount of time to assist with parking, setup/cleanup, etc.; they get access to the best parkingspaces and reserved seats at the concert. To volunteer click the Volunteer tab on the menu bar.

Musicians interested in performing should contact Gerry: jazz@backyardjazz.com.