A packed house listens to Steve Baughman and Robin Bullock at a past concert.
Since 2017, Tim Alexander has dedicated his spare time to organizing a series of acoustic musical performances at the Manor on Front, all to bring the house concert culture to Harrisburg.
Alexander, together with his wife Polly, created what he calls a “listening room experience,” which they have dubbed the Mansion Concerts—a play on house concerts, as the events take place inside a historic Front Street mansion.
In the time before sold-out arenas and Ticketmaster resales, people often experienced musical performance in homes and backyards. From Mozart’s house concerts in the 18th century to Harlem buffet flats in the 1930s, the genres and audiences varied, but the intimacy of the setting meant there were no bad seats to be had.
Now, at the Mansion Concert series, which takes place at the Manor on Front’s glass-shrouded River Room, an artist could drop a pick and “somebody might pick it up and hand it to them, they’re that close to the audience,” Alexander said.
Alexander plays guitar and has participated in numerous instructional events, including at the Swannanoa Gathering in North Carolina, where many of the guitar players who have been invited to the Mansion Concerts are instructors.
The Alexanders’ Harrisburg events, which operate under a nonprofit structure, donate all ticket sales, outside of sale platform fees, straight to the artist. The River Room fits 85 people, allowing them to attract artists without sacrificing the intimacy that house concerts are known for.
“At the end of the show, I am shameless in asking my guests to buy a CD,” Alexander said. “Musicians just are not making any money on the streaming of music.”
Mark Bennington, who owns the Manor on Front with his wife Sheri, touts the quality of the acoustics and lighting in the River Room, which contributes to a warm and cozy event space.
“The Mansion Concert series has brought a new level of sophistication to the Harrisburg music scene,” Bennington said.
On the List
Alexander organizes Mansion Concerts on top of his nonprofit day job, so the exclusive shows run only about once every other month.
However, due to the series’ popularity, the schedule is already packed through 2024, with upcoming shows featuring artists like symphonic acoustic guitarist Christie Lenée on Aug. 26, singer-songwriter-poet Johnsmith on Oct. 7, and international acoustic guitarist Peppino D’Agostino on Dec. 10.
In true house concert fashion, Mansion Concert tickets are invite-only, but you just need to sign up for emails on the organization’s website to get on the list.
On a typical show evening, doors open at 6 p.m. while the artist mills around, getting their equipment set up and sound checking. By 7 p.m., the lights go down for two sets, separated by a brief intermission. It’s not a late evening—music is usually finished by 9:30 p.m.—but it can go later if the artist wants to hang around and chat with the audience.
Some folks bring a bottle of wine and charcuterie for afterwards, and Polly’s homemade chocolate chip cookies are always a big hit.
“The music is important, but Polly’s chocolate chip cookies are far more important,” Alexander said.
The Manor on Front typically sells out all of its rooms on show nights, he added. This includes 11 sleeping suites across the two mansions, each with its own private bathroom and a hot breakfast in the morning. At breakfast time, the venue is known for its sourdough French toast.
“Our sourdough bread is made from scratch by Sheri’s 80-year-old mother, Dee Smith, who lives just across the river in Camp Hill,” Bennington said.
Of course, the artist gets to stay overnight and for breakfast, courtesy of Alexander and his team.
“For the whole time you’re in Harrisburg, you have no obligations,” he said. “We’ve got you covered.”
Mansion Concerts are as close-knit as it gets, proving that they take the house concert standard to heart. For people who appreciate acoustic music, it’s an ideal setting, as well as a nice way to cultivate community with likeminded people.
“Some of our best friends now are folks we’ve met through the concerts,” Alexander said.
Mansion Concerts take place at the Manor on Front, 2917 N. Front St., Harrisburg. For more information, visit www.mansionconcert.com. Learn more about the venue at www.themanoronfront.com.
If you like what we do, please support our work. Become a Friend of TheBurg!
