Title: Carroll: Lukewarm Senate Race Will Heat Up At End Of Month

" This is a WBUR. News podcast -- Tuesday November 3 service of WBUR. Boston's NPR news station I'm Bob -- coming up it's a growing trend in Boston music shows in private homes and first today. In the race to succeed the late Ted Kennedy in the US senate the primaries are a little more than a month away. However at least one of the Democrats running Boston Celtics co owner Stephen -- yoga will take advantage of today's municipal elections in this state depressed the flash. Face to face interactions with voters are at a premium because of their short duration of this race meaning advertising becomes more important. For an update on how the candidates are getting out their messages on the airwaves we champion. With WB source senior media analyst John Carroll. John when we spoke a few weeks ago it appeared the candidates were simply at that point trying to introduce themselves to voters is the introduction -- over --"

" I don't think units to tell you has absolutely introduce themselves but everybody else is still holding off waiting for. The race to really get on the radar screen. I think that it's going to heat up a little bit between now and Thanksgiving but I think it's really going to go microwave between Thanksgiving and the December 8 primary. So to the question do the voters know these candidates yet you would argue you know. I don't think they do I think they don't know Michael -- I think they don't really know Alan Khazei. Martha Coakley has run statewide so I think that she's a brand name that people recognized Steve how -- is boring himself on to the public radar screen. It's pretty hard to watch any TV right now without seeing an -- for Steve Kelley Hugo with just a few short weeks left between now. And the primary is TV advertising as important as -- Uga appears to be making -- out to be absolutely early on and -- the Internet social media networks are great for diversifying. For multiplying in some cases as with Alan -- But TV traditionally is the medium that you cannot win without. How about the ads for Michael kept you -- not on the air as frequently as hell you can but he still up with TV ads he's got a problem because he's never run statewide and so he's gonna name recognition problem and he's been out there -- pretty consistently since the beginning of the race. Martha Coakley seen as the early front runner no TV ads yet you surprised I'm a little surprised but I think that she's probably saving her money for a major bullets going into the last week -- who of the primary race. Martha Coakley has an advantage which is. She's got a brand name across the state. And studies show that people tend to buy the brands that they know. And Alan -- in theory yes the money to buy TV ads but not out yet. Yeah I think -- smart to sort of husband his resources and save them for the big sprint toward the end. I think that he's someone who might be able to benefit from digital media new media more than the other candidates. I haven't seen any pieces in my mailbox yet John will there be a direct mail component do you think in this race and what role will play. I think that direct mail is going to be one of the ways. That the candidates try to push voters to the polls so I think we'll see. Going forward allot more direct mail was a lot more robocalls. I think that's going to be important to mobilize the voters. Almost absent from public view in this campaign up to this point are the two Republicans who are now industry state senator Scott Brown. Who's facing off against businessman Jackie Robinson who got enough signatures to get on the ballot will they have a presence before the primary. I don't really think so I think -- knock heads around Massachusetts but there's no reason for them to really start spending serious money until after the primary is over. -- the news media as a news media done a good job yet of covering different I think they're doing a reasonable job I think it's not quite up at the top of the pyramid from the news media. It will get a lot more serious as we get closer to the primary day after Thanksgiving that I think that week is going to be an absolute full tilt bogey and I think that people are gonna get a real sense of who's who in this race. In that week. John Carroll thanks a lot Casilla. Good to see you John Carroll is WBUR senior media analyst and a mass communication professor at Boston University. You can read more of his observations at his blog campaign outsider dot com."

" Our next story is about concert venues and puts a fresh spin on the phrase proceeds. House concerts are longstanding tradition in Boston. Happening basement living rooms and -- often sporadically and with varying levels of success. But the White House and Jamaica Plain has been packing -- in every week. For nearly three years -- UB UR's Andrea Shea has the story."

" If you've never been to a house concert it can do seem a little weird at first. Especially if you show up the floor of the music starts. We sort of wandered in and -- Hayward -- get. -- instantly how hosts. OK stuff. 25 year old Danielle beyond leaves and JP. And -- a ton of life music in clubs and bars that this has her first show at the White House. She came to see the flotation walls a band on tour from Columbus Ohio. Before opening act is a local girl sixteen year old who media Fontaine posture burned. Yeah."

" Kenya it -- little Cayman Islands. And -- assigned blame."

" Now house concerts are nothing new to Boston but this one venues longevity. And it transient -- CD is remarkable according to Indy concert promoter and courage."

" Places you know tend to have a lifespan they -- for some amount of time. They get shut down other places disappearance something else comes to take its place."

" Hersh says the White House has survived despite Norway's complaints and the occasional police intervention. It's also evolved into a collective. With its own recognizable. Brain and -- says musician Morgan shaker is a founding member."

" I think everyone this year wouldn't mind quitting their job being a full time position -- that would be definitely a goal but it would -- a goal that would have to be. Done with him on this core."

" Right now ten people live under this roof they share instruments food bills and rent. Making music not money is what motivates the White House according to shaker. The aesthetics here is deliberately none commercial. House has its own home run record label that this CDs only cost five bucks you can listen to the recorded shows for nothing on the Internet. And again events the shows themselves are free from. The White House is clearly a labor of love and has been from start. It all began three years ago when shaker and some friends moved to Boston from the -- They had separate apartments and reforming their own bans the speaker admits the competition to get gigs at clubs was years. So they created an alternative to the club scene at home. -- on Craig's list a few flyers and lots of word of mouth. Attracted acts and audiences. I remember seeing the writing on the love it -- man is gonna be my life. He's too good to let go. And so we just said all right we're gonna do this once a week. All their sweat equity has paid off. The notoriety the White House musicians have gained because of their house concerts has turned into part time professional music promoters. The group recently produced a three day festival in Cambridge. Featuring more than fifteen bands they dubbed it -- stock and hope to do many more in the future. Still the White House musicians aren't quitting their -- jobs anytime soon they say they are firmly committed to putting on their free shows at home. Even if it means cleaning up a big club like -- the morning after. For WBUR any injuries yet."

" Okay."

" This podcast is a free service of WBUR Boston to make a contribution to support the news go to our website wbur.org."