PEABODY — Rising country music artist Annie Brobst kicked off her spring concert series, TheHouseTour4, with two house performances in Peabody Saturday.
“I got a whole rush today. It feels great to get started on the house tour again,” Brobst said. “We did this in a pinch last summer, and just getting ready for it again today was really, really exciting because I know how much people loved it.”
The first stop was on Corey Drive, where homeowner Chris Flahive was hosting his annual Kentucky Derby Day party. Many of the attendees dressed for the occasion, decked out in colorful attire topped with ornately-decorated hats — Churchill Downs-style.
“We do a Kentucky Derby party every year, and this year we decided if we were going to do it, we were going to do it big,” said Flahive, who reached out to Brobst and her crew weeks before to see if they could make a stop to liven up the party. “Everyone’s vaccinated and starting to get out, so let’s have some fun. We couldn’t really do it last year, so we thrilled to be able to go out this year.”
Brobst seized the moment, delivering an impromptu performance of her melodic “On the Road that Leads Me to Kentucky,” a tune from her latest album, “Where We Holler.” The album enjoyed immediate success following its March 30 release. For 48 hours it was ranked No. 2 on the national iTunes Country Music charts (No. 8 in all genres), sandwiched between Carrie Underwood at No. 1 and American Idol’s Chris Stapleton at No. 3, which Brobst said was virtually unprecedented for an independent artist.
“I wrote the song after I had left my cover band and took a trip to Kentucky,” Brobst told the crowd. “It was an incredibly meaningful trip for me when I needed it most — kind of my come-to-Jesus moment.”
Using a makeshift stage on top of her trailer, which is hauled by an ordinary passenger car, Brobst parks in driveways, cul-de-sacs, or anywhere else with enough room for her to put on a 90-minute show for fans and passersby alike. She is accompanied on guitar by her boyfriend, fellow songwriter and singer Ryan Dupont.
The 35-year-old Columbus, Ohio native said the idea for TheHouseTour was actually born last summer, when social distancing measures paved the way for more creative concert ideas.
“Last March we did ‘house tours’ in our house. We were doing them in every room, and it was just so funny. People got a kick out of it, and we had a blast playing music even though we couldn’t do concerts at venues at the time,” Brobst said. “When the weather got warm, we started to do it outside around our house, and people started to show up.
“Our neighbors would hear it and they would bring their chairs, or our fans knew we were going to be around our house, and they would respectfully bring their chairs and park it on the sidewalk around our house. We started to get a live audience and we didn’t expect that.”
When a close friend came over with his trailer to help her move some belongings to the dump, Brobst had an idea.
“I took a look at the trailer and said ‘that would make a really cool stage,’ so the idea to do a tour where we go to other people’s neighborhoods was born.”
The concert included a special guest performance of the Star Spangled Banner by Boston Anthem singer Todd Angilly of Lynnfield, who also sang the anthem at last year’s derby party.
“When we were told Todd was going to stop by and do the anthem, that was super exciting,” she said. “We’ve met Todd a few times out and about. I sang the national anthem at one point for a Celtics game, so we bonded over being in the Garden.”
TheHouseTour4 will bring Brobst and her crew to 12 communities through early June, including three locations in Peabody. The tour also includes stops at private parties and parking lot performances at function halls, including Breakaway in Danvers later this month, which will feature the full Annie Brobst Band.
Angilly, who has conducted numerous rolling-rally style mobile concerts in many communities, praised Brobst’s idea of a house tour.
“It shows a sense of creativity,” he said. “With the pandemic and everybody trying to figure out a way to keep our spirits up, I think it’s perfect. Really there’s not too much you can do except bring the music to the people.”
Elyse Carmosino can be reached at [email protected].
