House concert with Jenn Grinels

A little over three years ago, my sister and I fell in love with Jenn Grinels when we saw her in Thomas, West Virginia at The Purple Fiddle. I hadn't been fortunate enough to see her again because her tours never quite matched up with my schedule, but I never stopped listening or hoping to catch her again. A few months ago my sister forwarded me an email from Jenn saying that Jenn would be in the Virginia area the weekend before the wedding and she was seeking house concerts. She said, "it's a long shot, but wouldn't that be a cool way to start the week of wedding festivities?"

Have you ever been to a house concert? If you like good music, talented folk singers, and an intimate atmosphere to enjoy both, then a house concert can be an experience like no other. I had only been to one of these types of concerts before. To see Jenn in a house concert would be fantastic, so long shot or not, we were going to go for it. Several weeks and a handful of emails later and we were hosting a house concert for Jenn! We could hardly believe it! I

Lucky for us, my sister has some great friends that both love music and also have a killer house on a farm in Richmond with a huge piece of property. Having the concert in my sister's little apartment would have worked, but it would have brought a whole new meaning to "intimate." The backyard space was awesome. My sister's friend is in a band so he had a makeshift stage and PA system already set up. It was absolutely perfect.

When I found out we were chosen to host her house concert in Richmond, my sister and I were a little nervous to add something else to our plate. It all came together and ended up being a fine night with friends, family, and great music.

It was a beautiful way to kick off a fabulous week of wedding festivities. Most of our friends thought Jenn was just some singer that plays her guitar. They had no idea of the gift that they were there to see. Jenn is so talented with a sound stars are made of. She's also freaking hilarious and she shares her stories in her folk star way that makes you feel like you are having an evening with a best friend.

Jenn showed up a couple hours before the show and got things put together. She did a soundcheck while my sister helped her make a pretty display for her merchandise.

The weather was a perfect summer day. A little muggy, but Jenn didn't seem to mind. She came on that stage and blew us away...

If you ever get a chance to see Jenn Grinels, don't even hesitate. It didn't occur to me until after the show that a video of one of er songs would have been great. I suppose I'll just have to keep her music from that evening close in my memory. This was definitely one night I will not soon forget. I hope it was memorable to others that came as well, but especially to my sister and her husband.

Thank you, Jenn, for such a beautiful night. I hope it's not another three years before I'll get to see you sing again. My sister and I love you!