Garret K. Woodward
Nashville roadhouse folk-rock performer Kristina Murray and her band.
Clayton, Georgia, recedes in the rearview mirror. Head farther west on Highway 76. The last of the day’s sunshine falls behind the Blue Ridge Mountains. Take a right on Persimmon Road, an easy-to-miss turnoff into the backwoods.
Finally, Grouse Mountain Trail appears in the headlights, a steep and winding path that leads to a driveway filled with cars bearing dirty license plates—South Carolina, Tennessee, North Carolina, and Kentucky among them.
Welcome to the Grouse Mountain House Concert Series. Here in the living room of Scott Low and his wife, Nicole Kelley, rising Americana, folk, and rock musicians play for a few dozen music lovers who gather for intimate performances over potluck-style food. Acts have ranged from popular regional musicians to higher profile musicians such as Nick Dittmeier & the Sawdusters, Caleb Caudle, and Danny Hutchens. Newlyweds Low and Kelley have held the monthly events at their home for the better part of the last year, since they moved in.
“This is what real life should be—friends, family, good food, and real original music,” says Low, a seasoned singer-songwriter in his own right. “Turn off the radio and the phone, and find something original.”
The home setting sets a convivial stage. Folks exchange big hugs and hearty handshakes over plates of barbecue and BYO beer. “As people start to pour in, I get very excited to see old friends and new faces, and I’m proud that we can provide a place for original music to be heard,” says Kelley, who grew up in Rabun County. “Not only are we opening people’s eyes to a sense of community that has been lost because everyone is so self-serving and ‘busy,’ but we’re also making connections, getting people to feel again, to experience something totally different than what’s at the local bar.”
When it’s time for the music to start, Low dims the living room lights to signal it’s time to find a seat or beanbag chair, a corner or couch, and relax quietly into the showcase, which echoes throughout the two-story house and fills every inch of the 30-foot vaulted ceiling.
“It’s different playing to a crowd like this,” says Andrew Klein, a singer/songwriter from Athens, Georgia, who played the series in January. “And that can make me a little nervous, so naturally I’ll be playing with a little more sensitivity. I’m way more vulnerable, where everything I thought I was good at all of sudden becomes a little difficult. The audience notices that intimacy, and so do I, so the back-and-forth bounce grows into this beautiful, intense silence.”
In a day and age when many artists rely more on touring than record sales to survive, playing house concerts offers another vital avenue for building a fan base.
“There are so many bands out there, and to be able to have people like Scott and Nicole looking for great music to showcase to people is what it’s all about,” says Kristina Murray, a singer/songwriter from Nashville. “A lot of bars and venues want live music, but the pay is so low, and a lot of times you’re just playing for a non-listening crowd in a really loud room.”
Beyond providing a platform for up-and-coming bands, Low and Kelley also offer musicians a place to stay and recuperate in a sometimes unforgiving industry.
“I’ve traveled almost the whole United States with Scott on tour, and a clean bed and homemade food on the road are a couple of things that can restore your faith in humanity,” Kelley says. “I love being able to put fresh sheets on the spare beds and couches, cook up a ton of food, and set out the merchandise table for their wares. We want to create a safe and warm place for everyone—seasoned musicians and those who are just finding their way.”
That authentic respect for musicians has helped build a grassroots community around the series. “These shows are shockwaves of music and people, where you tell someone, and they tell someone, and that someone tells someone else—that’s how the scene grows,” Low says. “Tell your friends.”
For more information on the next gathering of the Grouse Mountain House Concert Series, search “Grouse Mountain House Concerts” on Facebook. Admission is by donation, with $10 suggested. Capacity is limited to 50 people. 770.316.4809; lionoftheday@gmail.com.