Folk singer Mary McBride and her band play Iota, a club in Arlington, Va. McBride's unconventional "Home Tour" took them around the country to play at senior citizens' homes, homeless shelters and other unusual venues.

Folk singer Mary McBride and her band play Iota, a club in Arlington, Va. McBride's unconventional "Home Tour" took them around the country to play at senior citizens' homes, homeless shelters and other unusual venues.

Mark Peterson-Redux

McBride with her band (guitarist Paul Carbonara, bassist Greg Beshers adn drummer Konrad Meissner) play at the Victory Heights apartments for seniors in Northwest Washington.

McBride with her band (guitarist Paul Carbonara, bassist Greg Beshers adn drummer Konrad Meissner) play at the Victory Heights apartments for seniors in Northwest Washington.

Mark Peterson-Redux

The Victory Heights audience listens to the band perform. "I wanted to play music for people who might not ordinarily get a chance to hear live music, and I wanted to play it where they live," McBride says.

The Victory Heights audience listens to the band perform. "I wanted to play music for people who might not ordinarily get a chance to hear live music, and I wanted to play it where they live," McBride says.

Mark Peterson-Redux

McBride and guitarist Carbonara play for Elsie Nelson at her home in Northwest Washington's Samuel Kelsey Apartments.

McBride and guitarist Carbonara play for Elsie Nelson at her home in Northwest Washington's Samuel Kelsey Apartments.

Mark Peterson-Redux

McBride and Carbonara performing for another resident of Washington's Samuel Kelsey Apartments. "I'm peforming for people who are not necessarily living in the same world I am," McBride says.

McBride and Carbonara performing for another resident of Washington's Samuel Kelsey Apartments. "I'm peforming for people who are not necessarily living in the same world I am," McBride says.

Mark Peterson-Redux

McBride's most notable musical success before this tour was a song called "No One's Gonna Love You Like Me," which appeared in the movie "Brokeback Mountain" and on its soundtrack. But her career as a professional musician has mostly meant making a modest living off touring revenue.

McBride's most notable musical success before this tour was a song called "No One's Gonna Love You Like Me," which appeared in the movie "Brokeback Mountain" and on its soundtrack. But her career as a professional musician has mostly meant making a modest living off touring revenue.

Mark Peterson-Redux

After writing "Home" in 2008, a song about a sense of belonging, McBride says, "I thought a lot about the meaning of home." And she began to conceptualize a tour that seemed to have no precedent.

After writing "Home" in 2008, a song about a sense of belonging, McBride says, "I thought a lot about the meaning of home." And she began to conceptualize a tour that seemed to have no precedent.

Mark Peterson-Redux

Except for a few club dates, the shows on the tour are performed for free. "It's not a terribly good business model," she says of the 26-show tour. "But everyone wonders at some point in their life: What kind of mark am I making? To me, the benefit of doing this is obvious. We're allowing people to take a pause from their daily struggles. We don't necessarily go in to cheer people up, but we are cheering people up."

Except for a few club dates, the shows on the tour are performed for free. "It's not a terribly good business model," she says of the 26-show tour. "But everyone wonders at some point in their life: What kind of mark am I making? To me, the benefit of doing this is obvious. We're allowing people to take a pause from their daily struggles. We don't necessarily go in to cheer people up, but we are cheering people up."

Mark Peterson-Redux

"It's about the overall experience of engaging with these different audiences more than it's about getting a new record out there," McBride says. "The payoff is this intangible feeling of doing something that's meaningful to people."

"It's about the overall experience of engaging with these different audiences more than it's about getting a new record out there," McBride says. "The payoff is this intangible feeling of doing something that's meaningful to people."

Mark Peterson-Redux

Gallery Credits:
Photo Editor, Producer Troy Witcher Text Editor Amanda McGrath