Live Music in the Age of Coronavirus
In these uncertain times, one thing is certain: live music isn’t slowing down.
Written by Delaney Davis
Photo courtesy of Capital FM
During a call with the World Health Organization, Lady Gaga announced that she has collaborated with the organization and Global Citizen to create a virtual concert benefiting healthcare professionals on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic. The One World Together at Home concert will air on Saturday, April 18 and all money raised will fund protective equipment for healthcare workers.
The concert is slated to feature stars spanning a wide variety of genres, including Elton John, Alanis Morissette, Kacey Musgraves, Paul McCartney, Lizzo, Stevie Wonder, and more, and will be hosted by talk show hosts Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, and Stephen Colbert. Other celebrities, including actresses Kerry Washington and Priyanka Chopra Jonas, will also be making appearances. Gaga herself will also perform.
Most benefit concerts, including the iconic Live Aid from 1985, are held in person, so One World’s broadcast format is a further reminder of our new reality. But Gaga and friends aren’t the only ones to adapt live music to comply with self-distancing needs. Check out other ways artists have been performing for audiences from the comfort (and safety) of their own homes.
Isol-Aid Festival
Image courtesy of Isol-Aid
Each weekend, Australian artists across genres have been teaming up for the Isol-Aid Festival on Instagram Live. From 12 PM to 12 AM AEST (9 PM to 9 AM CST), artists perform 20-minute sets on their Instagram Lives, and once their set is over, they tag the next artist on the lineup. The festival serves as an opportunity for artists to reach new audiences and expand their platforms in the wake of cancelled shows and the shutdown of music venues across the country. The festival has hosted Aussie acts such as Ali Barter, Stella Donnelly, Julia Jacklin, and more. For those looking to explore music from the land Down Under, this festival is a great place to start.
Learn more about Isol-aid on their website here or their Instagram page @isolaidfestival.
Pickathon Presents A Concert A Day
Image courtesy of Pickathon
Pickathon, an annual music festival held on the Pendarvis Farm in Oregon each August, is sharing one unreleased concert every day for 60 days. The concerts will be available to watch on Facebook, Twitch, YouTube, and the JamBase Livestreams Calendar. Viewers can donate money during the streams — all donations collected during the concert series will benefit the MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund. Performances by Mac DeMarco, Tank & The Bangas, Andrew Bird, and more are set to be released from the Pickathon vault.
Learn more about the Pickathon Presents A Concert a Day series here.
Neil Young’s Fireside Sessions
Photo courtesy of JamBase
In a post on the Neil Young Archives, the Canadian folk music legend announced the beginning of his new video series, Fireside Sessions. Filmed at his home in Colorado in collaboration with his wife, actress Daryl Hannah, the series already has three installments. Young performs stripped-down versions of some his most beloved tracks, including the Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young song “Helpless.” He makes sure to include some rarely performed songs from his discography, including “Vampire Blues” and “World On a String.” In the second Fireside Sessions video, Young hilariously jokes, “Our sponsor, folks,” he says, “Water and soap. That’s what this is, a soap opera.”
Watch Neil Young’s Fireside Sessions on the Neil Young Archives.
BTS Bang Bang Con
Image courtesy of BTS
BTS stans, rejoice! The Korean boy band sensation announced Bang Bang Con, which will stream on their Youtube account next weekend. The convention will feature past BTS performances, dating all the way back to 2015. To further simulate the convention experience, the band will also be streaming past meetups with members of the BTS army. Bang Bang Con serves as a bit of a consolation prize for fans, as the band was forced to reschedule their upcoming North American tour due to the coronavirus pandemic. Still, we have no doubts BTS fans will tune in record numbers.
Bang Bang Con will stream this weekend on the BTS official YouTube channel.
Goodnight with Dolly
Image courtesy of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library
While not exactly a concert, Goodnight with Dolly is a must-watch. Through her nonprofit organization Imagination Library, the country icon will read a children’s book once a week for ten weeks. Watching Dolly Parton read a book in fabulous, flamboyant pajamas while snuggled in bed is something we never knew we needed. Books read will include “Llama Llama Red Pajama” by Anna Dewdney, “Coat of Many Colors” by Parton herself, and “The Little Engine That Could” by Watty Piper, among other children’s favorites.
Watch Goodnight With Dolly on the Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library channel now.
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While nothing may compare to the thrill of attending a live concert, musicians are certainly doing their best to bring music into our homes during the age of social distancing. Support their efforts, whether by hopping on Instagram Live or tuning in to their YouTube channels. Just because we’re stuck inside doesn’t mean that the good times have to stop.