House concerts are a growing phenomenon in the folk world, and Fox Run is leading the pack; known as one of the most professionally run home series in the country.  Held in the spacious Sudbury home of Neale Eckstein and Laurie Laba, the audience ranges from 45-65.  Advance phone reservations are required, and all proceeds after expenses go to local charities.

Shows are held monthly throughout the year, usually on Saturdays.  As at all BACHA coffeehouses, dress is casual - "come as you are" is the only dress code.  Teens to seniors are welcome, though due to the coziness of the setting, children are not allowed.  On-street parking is free, and food consists of a snack buffet, to which the audience is invited to bring hors d'oeurves and sweets.

"We try to provide the same type of environment you might get in a coffeehouse," Eckstein said.  "There is a sound system and lights.  But that combines with the fact that it is in a house, which has everyone more relaxed, with their shoes off, and dogs running around."

"Everyone wants to take turns holding the dogs," Laba said of the small poodle and Maltese that are Fox Run mascots.  The Maltese is the better listener, according Laba, always seated near the front during shows, intently watching the performers.  Both dogs seem to by hypo-allergenic; no one has ever had a bad reaction to them since the series started in 1996.

"It's very intimate, very warm," said Laba.  "There’s no stage, per se, no riser, no artificial wall between performer and audience.  It's very welcoming, whether you come with a group or alone."

She said the sociability of the home environment makes it a particularly comfortable place for singles to come, and they are proud that several people have found jobs through the networking done around the Fox Run buffet table - and there's been at least one wedding.

The music tends more toward the pop side of folk, mostly singer-songwriters, though they have had a few a cappella groups as well.  The sound system and lights are first-rate; so good, in fact, that several performers have recorded albums there.

"I think performers react a little differently here," said Eckstein.  "They let their guard down a bit, do things they might not do at a more formal concert.  Most of them are staying with us, right upstairs, so they feel like they're around people they know - like they can take their shoes off, too."