By Ryan Pilon

The house is rockin’

May 23, 2011 | 11:46 AM

Rock bands are beginning to tear down the house, inside an actual house.

Gary Ostafichuk, along with his band, Penny Reign, now performs house concerts.

“We set up right in your living room, your basement, your backyard, or any small space you have for us and the host usually has their own private invitation list, and then we put on a little concert for them,” Ostafichuk said.

Ostafichuk said they’ve decided to go this route because there aren’t enough venues to perform at anymore.

“Back in the day there were a lot of venues to play all over the place, but now there’s not as many,” he said.

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House concerts are becoming a popular option with many bands, and despite playing for smaller audiences they can still build a fan base Ostafichuk said.

“It’s a little bit more intimate, and other artists have shown you actually can build your fan base,” Ostafichuk said.

“You have a really intimate interaction with your fans, and you have a chance to keep them for life that way.”

Penny Reign performed their first house concert on Saturday, with more performances booked throughout the summer.

rpilon@panow.com