In their quest to find a new home, Laney DeJonge and Troy Thompson had a few criteria. First, it couldn't be new; they both share a love for historic homes. DeJonge also wanted to make sure it had a basement for her musician husband to have a soundproof space in which to play, as well as a place for parties.

"The basement was really a priority," DeJonge says. "I wanted my husband to have a space to make music, but I also thought it would be a good place to have music and parties."

>> Watch St. Paul and The Broken Bones' 2013 performance at Highland Underground

When the couple spotted the more-than-100-year-old stone home in Highland Park, both saw the potential. It was large and it had a huge basement. However, the house sat vacant for more than a year, the walls were crumbling and the

once-charming woodwork was decaying.

"It really looked in terrible shape," Thompson says. "There were cracks in the walls. The wood was rotting. The first thing we had to do was stop the damage."

Before this historic Highland Park home could become a place for music and merriment, the house would have to be almost completely renovated.

"We didn't gut," Thompson says. "We mainly just repaired."

The walls were re-plastered, the roof replaced and the plumbing and electrical reworked. The dingy carpet was pulled up to reveal the original hardwood floors, and rotting woodwork was replaced to mimic the original detailing. They

sought the help of friends in construction and took advantage of the depressed housing market to transform the house, making it fit for the couple

and 8-year-old son.

The renovations took more than a year, and when the family finally moved in, the basement remained unfinished.

"By the time we finished the remodeling, it was kind of like (Thompson) wasn't really playing anymore," DeJonge says. "It's like it took so long the band broke up."

They were finally in the house, though, celebrating with a small concert in the living room. It was such a success it got them thinking again about that big basement.

"We just thought it would be great for a party," DeJonge says.

The space was empty, basically just a lot of concrete, Thompson recalls, but the acoustics were good, and it was virtually soundproof. With the help of friend Lee Shook Jr., they brought '80s band The Woggles for their inaugural basement concert. There wasn't a stage, but the capacity crowd of about 100 didn't seem to mind, nor did the band.

"The whole time they were playing I just felt like I was somewhere else," Thompson says. "When it started off it was just like we were having a party, but then we thought, 'Hey, let's do another.'"

Shook helped the couple bring a second band to the basement.

But first, they had to a build a stage.

They further soundproofed the space with strips of carpet pulled from a dumpster and hung a tapestry behind the stage to create a private backstage area.

The first band to grace the stage was then-relatively unknown St. Paul and the Broken Bones.

"This was right before they really broke out," Thompson says. "I didn't even know them."

Since then, they've hosted a few concerts each year.

News of their Highland Park home shows spreads fast, and not through modern means, such as social media or flyers, but through word of mouth.

Thompson tells a few friends. He designs invitations, which can be purchased at DeJonge's restaurant or through a Paypal account.

The fee for an invite pays for the band's refreshments and the cost of invitations. Thompson also hires a security guard. He keeps the size small, about 100 guests. Guests enter through the back gate and can bring their own

refreshments. Nothing is sold at the shows, and the couple doesn't make a profit. So far, all but one concert has sold out, Thompson says.

With the popularity of these exclusive events, the couple has continued to make improvements to the area. There is a public restroom for guests.

Thompson cut a hole in the ceiling backstage to allow the band access to the main house without going through the crowd. They always host the out-of-town talent in their home.

"No one's used it yet," says Thompson of the trap door. "I guess it is kind of high, but it's there if they need it."

Future plans include a patio outside the basement, and of course, more concerts to come.

"We just like having people over, and this is a great house to have a party," Thompson says. "We like to have music we like. We've had everything from hip hop to soul, bluegrass and rock. This isn't a business. We don't make anything.

It's just fun."