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Bob Sima is in the Netherlands. By phone, he describes the landscape.

"It's beautiful here, lots of snow," the singer-songwriter says. "It looks a lot like Maryland."

Working for a technical document translation company based in Holland allows him to travel, and the Dutch attitude towards quality of life ensures that Sima gets plenty of vacation days each year. He spends his free time playing introspective folk rock close to his Columbia, Md., home and across the country.

"I've got a really cool job," he says. "I basically work out of my home. It's challenging, because I really want to just do all music. But it's also good to have a balance in life."

For two decades, the 43-year-old Ellicott City native played in a few bands, but for the past three years, solo acoustic work has been his focus. Songs from the albums "Periphery" and "Pour It On" have earned numerous awards, including the 2007 Mid Atlantic Song Contest.

"I just wanted to try something different," Sima says of going out on his own. "And I think playing solo — just you and your guitar — is the best way to get the message across, which is really what I'm trying to do. I don't know if it's the right channel for me to be in a band."

The CDs have helped heighten Sima's profile, but house concerts are what bring in the cash. Later this month, he will fly out to California for house concerts in San Luis Obispo.

"I'm only playing like three shows, and I'll make money on the trip, even with all the travel," Sima says.

The money helps, but the intimacy of the concerts is the main draw. For Sima, it's all about connecting with the audience.

"They're in a comfortable place," he explains. "They're not being distracted by people walking up to the bar. They listen because they connect with what I'm trying to say. And that's what I'm looking for."

Sima is not alone. In the last several years, the house concert movement has grown into its own niche within the music industry. Web sites like houseconcerts.com and concertsinyourhome.com allow artists and hosts to network and establish protocol for shows. For example, attendees must call for directions to the house and, except in certain instances, all money collected at the door goes directly to the performer.

"There's more house concert presenters now," says Gene Dawson of Dawsonconcerts in Silver Spring. "It's not a mainstream thing. We've seen a lot of sharing of audiences, and as a result, we've sort of built up our own following."

Sima's reputation for putting on a captivating show helped convince Dawson he would be right for one of the house concerts he and his wife Susan host.

"We haven't met Bob personally," Dawson admits. "But we know people who know him and have heard him. It's sort of like a surprise for us. We know he's good. Bob Sima's songwriting is heartfelt, the kind we want to keep focusing on."

The show is one of four events on the schedule through March. Later, Dan Navarro and The Berrymans will fill the couple's basement with good vibes.

The Dawsons' place on the house concert scene is now well established. The series started in 2001, when Gene wanted to hire former Takoma Park singer-songwriter Tom Prasada-Rao to play at a birthday party for Susan.

"We went ahead and had the birthday party as a surprise, and it worked out really well," Dawson recalls. "It was a great environment with everyone in the living room listening to this great acoustic music. And that's what gave us the bug."

The successful party snowballed into what became Dawsonconcerts.

"I think we've had 60 people [in the basement] before," he says. "We fit them in, and we rearrange the furniture and put in the folding chairs. We have a little setup by the piano. It works out pretty well."

The house concerts aren't just intimate; they are like a family get-together. Susan prepares hors d'oeuvres, and guests are encouraged to bring dishes that can be shared by whoever shows up. Dawson says a loyal group of regulars pile into his basement for nearly every show.

"It's a really nice social event," he notes. "And as far as the music goes, you could hear a pin drop. There are no coffee grinders in the background."

Also on Saturday night's bill is David Glaser, whom Dawson met last summer after a boat concert on the Chesapeake Bay.

"At any given time, he's probably playing with six other artists somewhere," says Dawson. "He's just the musician's musician. He has his own CDs, too."

For Glaser, accepting the gig was a no-brainer.

"I was definitely eager to take it," he says. "It's a well-respected series in my local area. It's nice to play with a guy that I love to play with [like] Bob Sima on a night when I had an opening."

The 53-year-old from Baltimore has spent the last 35 years playing in bands and as a solo artist, but one fact sticks out on his resume. As a teenager, he rocked out in a group called Orange Sunshine alongside talk show host Montel Williams.

"It wasn't surreal back then," Glaser says. "Montel was just another guy like any of us, a very nice and very talented guy at that. I did see him a few times after he went into the Marines, but I have not seen him in years."

Dawson is happy with the regular crowd and hopes some new music fans take the opportunity to not only hear good music, but also chat with the musicians.

"Our motto is ‘Backstage starts at the front door,'" he says. "The moment you walk in through the front door, you're there with the artist. You're a few feet from the artist during the concert, and you're mingling with them the whole evening. So people will really be backstage, which is great if you really like musicians. You wouldn't quite get backstage at a Rolling Stones concert."

The house concert by Bob Sima and David Glaser begins at 8 p.m. Saturday at Gene and Susan Dawson's Silver Spring home. A $15 donation is recommended. For directions and reservations, call 301-949-1888 or visit dawsonconcerts.com.