Have you ever wished you could enjoy the thrill of live music without having to leave your house? For John and Ginger Smithwick, that wish is their reality. 

Four to six times a year, the Smithwicks host live music and spoken art performances in the living room of their home just off Tates Creek Road, which has come to be known as The Raven House.

These events are ticketed and usually limited to around 40 to 80 people per show. 

At the Raven House, guests are invited to bring food and drink, lending a dinner party feel to the event that encourages guests to get to know one another. 

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The environment of a living room show differs in many ways from that of a traditional bar or club show. Many of the distractions that come with a typical venue are eliminated, and the artist is truly the focal point of the event. 

“We ask people not to talk while the show is happening.” John Smithwick said. “This allows the artist to have complete control over the room, and to be able to express their stories without any interruption or background noise that you would typically get at a club or a coffee shop.”

The Raven House is on its third year of hosting shows, and has developed a method for distributing the proceeds of events to both the featured artist and the local Lexington community. Typically, 90 percent of all the ticket sales go to the artist, with the remaining 10 percent going to a local charity says Smithwick.

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According to Smithwick, spokespeople from the selected charities are invited to the event to speak to guests about their cause before the show. He said there are several great non-profits in and around town, and he’s happy to give them a voice and to encourage people to get more involved in their community.

The Raven House’s final show of 2016 will take place on Saturday, Nov. 19 and features Lexington’s Warren Byrom & Fabled Canelands. Knoxville, Tennessee’s The Lonetones and Louisville’s The Other Years will support Byrom, opening the show and helping set the tone for the evening. 

The non-profits benefitting from the show include Kurt and Kremena, a local artist duo responsible for the “Unlearn Fear + Hate” project, and Frack Free Foothills, a group based in Berea, Kentucky that raises awareness about fracking in the Appalachian foothills of Eastern Kentucky.

IF YOU GO

What: Warren Byrom & Fabled Canelands, The Lonetones, The Other Years

When: Saturday, Nov. 19 at 7 p.m.

Where: The Raven House – 3229 Raven Circle

Tickets: $15 in advance, $20 at the door (if available)