(Photo by JuN Lu)
Now SEEKING Lauren Ruth Ward FANS TO HOST her UNDERTOW SHOWS – Fall 2025
Do you have a large living room, art gallery, café, or community space that can comfortably host 35-50 people? These shows only happen if fans volunteer to host. We want to hear from you if live near the..
EAST COAST September 4-17
DC, Baltimore, NYC, Boston, etc
MIDWEST REGIONS Sept 26 – Oct 4
Minneapolis, Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland, etc
PNW + WEST COAST October 8-18
Seattle, Portland, Bay Area, San Diego, etc
SUBMISSIONS CLOSE JUNE 11
Regions outlined above are just suggestions! We are open to any and all submissions – even if you don’t live in a major metropolis. International submissions graciously accepted!
TAKE THE FIRST STEPS AND GET INVOLVED!
- Read all about the hosting expectations outlined on this page.
- Complete the intake form (at the bottom) to submit your space.
- Sit tight! We’ll get back to you as soon as possible about dates and logistics.
Undertow keeps this simple for hosts. All you have to do is let us borrow your living room (for approx. 3 hours) and check-in guests at the door. In return, you’ll get to see an intimate performance by Lauren Ruth Ward in your space, 5 free tickets for your friends, and our eternal gratitude.
Lauren would love to play a show at your place!
A few things to consider…
1. LOCATION
In the past, we’ve booked all kinds of spaces. It can be residential, commercial, community, or any other space where you can host a private gathering. Bonus points for being centrally located! The space should safely hold a minimum of 35 people. Show us what you got!
There needs to be parking (street parking, a parking garage, or public transport) nearby so the space is accessible to guests. Before you offer to host a show, please check with your neighbors to confirm they’re ok with a bunch of extra people coming over. It would be a huge bummer if someone called the cops because of unexpected cars and people.
2. CAPACITY
Be realistic. This is the number of tickets we put on sale. Please keep in mind when determining your capacity, you get five free tickets for friends that won’t be included in the ticketed capacity. The capacity you tell us will be the number of tickets we put on sale. EXAMPLE: If we sell 50 tickets and you invite 5 guests, there will be 55 people at the show.
3. TICKET PRICE
Ticket price will be $25. Tickets sold in advance. There is no guarantee tickets will be available day-of-show. All tickets are sold directly to fans from Undertow. There will be no reselling or third-party tickets sales. Limit 4 tickets per order. These shows are limited capacity and we want everyone to have a fair opportunity to buy tickets.
4. GUEST LIST
On show day we’ll provide the host with a list of everyone attending the show. We need the host to check people off the list as they arrive and direct them where to sit. The host won’t have to exchange any money since tickets are bought in advance. We ask guests to arrive between 7:15-7:45pm to check-in for 8pm shows.
5. FREE TICKETS FOR HOSTS
The host gets 5 additional free tickets for the show. If you have other friends beyond your 5 guests who want to come to the show you should direct them buy tickets online.
6. PROMOTING THE SHOW
Undertow Shows are promoted on Undertow websites, social media, mailing lists, and by word-of-mouth. We rely on hosts to help us spread the word on a local level. Social media posts are more than sufficient.
Please don’t post your home address. The show address only goes to guests after they purchase tickets. In addition to respecting your privacy, we need to keep the show locations private so random folks don’t show up and party-crash.
7. SOUND SYSTEM & LIGHTING
You don’t need a sound system. Most shows are totally acoustic. But some artists bring along a small sound system if they’re playing electric instruments. If they need access to an electrical outlet or power strip, we’ll let you know.
No special lighting required. But it would be great if you had some kind of ambient lighting like a table lamp, string lights, or dimmable overhead lights to help create a cozy mood.
8. SEATING
You don’t need to provide seating for everyone. If you have a bunch of chairs – great! But most shows are floor seating and we let guests know if they should bring something comfortable to sit on during the show.
9. OPENING ARTISTS
We don’t have openers on these shows. It’s much easier for us to keep things simplistic and on-schedule when presenting a single act bill. We want to keep the amount of time guests are in your space to a minimum.
10. FRIENDLY PETS
We love dogs and cats, we really do! But an excitable pet running around during the show can be distracting for the guests and performers. If you have curious and friendly 4-legged family members, would you be ok with putting them in another part of the house or sending them to a friend’s house during the show?
If all that sounds ok,
PLEASE FILL IN ALL FIELDS BELOW