On a clear, mild evening, a couple dozen cars park on the Bay Village lawn of siblings Brad and Leslie Thompson. Near some Rose-of-Sharon, the Joe Rangel Trio plays jazz, followed by Moises Borges Brazilian tunes. Guests wander in and out of the Thompsons’ house, helping themselves to a generous spread.

Sounds like fun? Come join it. We’ve all been invited.

Even though summer has transitioned into fall, and Hurricane Helene just stopped in, there’s a new trend in outdoor entertainment sweeping the country. The trend was rolling through all parts of Northeast Ohio this summer as well. The Thompsons’ occasional concerts are part of a small but widespread practice of hosting public concerts in private yards.

Brad invites friends through emails and invites strangers on Facebook. He draws visitors from both sides of town—one time a stranger staying in a downtown hotel whom he had just met from the next room.

Music has a wide range of venues, public or private. But when the pandemic closed many music spots, some homeowners began to host public concerts in their yards, where fans could listen and mingle safely.

Now, even though most venues have reopened, a few musicians continue play for the public in people’s yards. Hosts and guests who have experienced these concerts say that yards are more affordable, accessible, and friendly than bars or concert halls.

Many visitors bring lawn chairs, refreshments, and money for tips. Some hosts pay the bands extra cash and feed the guests extra food. They also stop the music before the neighbors’ bedtimes.

Moises Borges plays for the public in Brad and Leslie Thompsons' yard in Bay Village.Gather the neighbors

In the Thompsons’ yard, visitor Becky Olsen is enjoying both the music and the company.

“Look at how many people I’m meeting,” she exclaims as she thanks her hosts and invites them to a party of her own.

Entertainer Borges likes reaching new listeners who’d have trouble attending traditional venues.

“You see a mom coming down the street with six kids holding her skirt, and a lady in a wheelchair with an IV and a nurse,” he says.

The Thompsons’ visitors include music promoter Jim Wadsworth, who embraces the yard concert trend.

“People like to get out,” he says. “They like to have shared experiences. Everyone’s in their own little bubble. This is a way of bursting the bubble.”

From Larchmere to Cleveland Heights

Events like Larchmere PorchFest entertain fans who gather on sidewalks and streets, while the yard concerts draw listeners a little closer. And, fans say, the yards are more inviting to strangers passing by.

Wadsworth recalls walking in Cleveland Heights once and finding Blue Lunch playing in the yard of Steve Presser, owner of the old Big Fun store on Coventry in Cleveland Heights, and who hosts many yard concerts. Wadsworth felt free to join the crowd there—which he’d never have done indoors without an invitation.

Blue Lunch’s frontman, Pete London, says he enjoys playing the yard shows and seeing the neighborhoods unite. “It’s communal. It’s family friendly,” he says, adding that he likes playing for visitors of all ages and, often, for their dogs.

Yard shows can be public to different degrees, depending on the setting and the publicity. Presser doesn’t invite the public to the shows he hosts but doesn’t turn people away either. He says he gets up to 125 visitors per show and asks them to tip at least $10 apiece.

“The bands do really well,” Presser observes.

Getting to know you

Jazz vocalist Vanessa Rubin invites one and all to an occasional series at her Lee-Seville neighborhood home called “Sundown Jazz @ V’s Place.” Leading local musicians and groups like Jackie Warren and Forecast play in her garage.

“The garage is a great resonator,” Rubin says.

Her guests and musicians praise the setting. “It’s relaxed and intimate,” says Forecast bassist Gary Stevenson.

Before one of the performances, Rubin asks guests, “Would you like some of my homemade punch?” She also offers to get a cushion for a man sitting in her wrought-iron glider. He says he’s fine without it. She gets it anyway.

In a Rocky River development, Jill Spencer hosts the classical ensemble Opus 216 every summer. “We have a big neighborhood,” she says. “We don’t always see each other. This is a fine way to get together and enjoy amazing music.”

At one of those shows, the neighbor Richard Clark introduces himself to Spencer. “I don’t know if we’ve met before, but I’ve seen you walking your dog.”

Violinist Ariel Karas thanks the audience for coming together for the show. “It’s a reflection of this community, of how close you are,” she tells the group.

After the concert, Karas says, “Even though the world has reopened, we have still seen so much love and community sustained in these performances.”