Virtual concerts become new norm in quarantine
Sarah Allam | Illustration Editor
With a quick one-two count to her band, Syracuse University sophomore Sarah Gross and her band set out to perform her single “I’ll Remember You” to her loyal fanbase. Only Gross was perched upon her bed — guitar in hand — singing to a camera rather than onstage performing to a crowd. Her bandmates were at their own respective houses on the Instagram video. The location tag: “Stay at home.”
In the midst of a pandemic, many Americans are learning to adjust to working from home and abiding by social distancing practices. During this time of uncertainty, singers and musicians alike have banded together to put on livestream performances on various social media platforms.
What began as a novel trend within smaller independent artists has exploded, expanding into formalized collaboration events like Twitch’s Stream Aid 2020 and Global Citizen’s One World: Together At Home concert.
“I think it’s super interesting the way that music and artists have taken this virus and taken it by the handles and were like ‘We’re refusing to let people just be sad about this’ and I think it’s amazing,” Gross said.
Over spring break, Gross was poised to perform on her first tour and was tirelessly working on her upcoming album “Songs from the Passenger Seat.” But, in lieu of her tour, Gross has been more active on Instagram, doing weekly livestreams and releasing songs like “nothing left to say.”
At the end of March, she also released a joint single entitled “Good Things Fall Apart” that she had been holding onto since last semester. The song was a collaborative effort between saxophonist Nick Peta and singer Jason Kimmel.
Gross said she is working on her new album but finds herself playing songs from when she first learned guitar, including tracks by Paramore, Johnny Cash and all of her “favorite female powerhouses.”
“It’s really a beautiful thing that people really want to be there for each other,” Gross said. “I didn’t realize how much I relied on playing with music to feel inspired and now that I don’t have that, I really really miss playing with people and learning from them because there’s only so much you can do when you’re by yourself.”
Gross will also be in ShatterFest, a weeklong women’s empowerment music festival recognizing the lack of women in the arts scene, according to their online festival posters.
And while Gross is busy posting her own videos, she said she is constantly watching those produced by her own favorite artists such as Tori Kelly.
“You get to see your favorite artist in their living room and you learn so much about them,” Gross said. “You see them in their most natural home, their whole natural element.”
But Gross isn’t the only Syracuse artist who is livestreaming and releasing tracks. The band NONEWFRIENDS, posted an Instagram video of the band members each in their respective houses as they performed a rendition of Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive.”
Michelle Santosuosso, a professor of practice in the Bandier Program in Recording and Entertainment Industries, was unsure how the music realm would respond to industry-wide cancellations, but after two decades of adapting to the digital revolution, she said artists, promoters and managers have adjusted quickly to “this left field situation.”
“A lot of them are really rising to the occasion,” Santosuosso said. “I think it’s to provide comfort, and maybe laughter, and maybe a service for people to forget about the darkness that’s happening right now.”
Santosuosso experienced her first virtual concert experience a few weeks ago, when both she and her sister attended DJ D-Nice’s virtual party via Zoom. Even though they were cities apart, Santosuosso said “it was healing to be able to just dance and have fun even if we’re alone in our homes.”
Santosuosso added that COVID-19 could not have come at a worse time, as the high season for touring is from April to September.
As for country music singer-songwriter Maggie Rose and her bandmates, she has been making the best of the COVID-19 pandemic, posting virtual concerts garnering 32,000 views from her East Nashville, Tennessee residency.
Like many artists, Rose had to pivot quickly with the loss of her “American Rock ‘N Soul Tour” set to kick off on March 20. Rose said she loves performing live because it allows her to connect with fans “who are our lifeblood, who are supporting our careers.”
The idea for virtual concerts came quite organically to Rose, who was concerned for her bandmates and those involved in the months of work to roll out her concert.
“So, just dealing with ‘How do we support the music and the band and honor all the people who have spent their own money to buy tickets?’” Rose said. “And that’s where the virtual show idea just felt like an undeniable thing we had to do.”
For Rose, one of the most unexpected aspects of the virtual concerts has been the financial outpour from fans, which has enabled her to continue paying her bandmates and larger team for proper shows.
Rose said she was initially going to halt everything, but after all of the tour cancellations, she felt the need to give her listeners a taste of her new “more psychedelic and funky” album. Rose added she will most likely be releasing a single within the next few weeks.
Until then, Rose will not be “taking a backseat” and will continue to perform via Facebook Live to viewers.
“It brings home just how many people are having to put up with this and having to halt the process and the progress of their life,” Rose said. “Like people that are supposed to be in college. This is supposed to be the best time ever. It just really — that kind of united suffering and empathy for one another is extremely healing to see.”
Country singer-songwriter Maggie Rose was supposed to embark on her tour March 20, but in light of COVID-19, has focused her efforts on making intimate virtual livestream concerts. Courtesy of Grand Ole Opry
To date, Rose has done four Facebook virtual concerts and numerous tribute videos for the late Bill Withers and John Prine. During this time, Rose believes artists should be using their platform to raise funds for COVID-19 relief, not for “self-promotion,” she said in reference to artists making their concerts ticketed events.
Santosuosso explained that because the industry is a “gig economy,” the individuals responsible for transportation, tour management, marketing and merchandising are having the worst time. To alleviate some of the financial troubles, Santosuosso added that Bowery Ballroom, a mid-level venue in New York City, launched fundraisers on GoFundMe to support its employees without jobs.’
Santosuosso said she predicts two possible scenarios unfolding in the coming months. She said one option is that COVID-19 will persist for so long that live streams will become normalized both for artists and audiences.
“Or, it’s gonna swing the other way,” Santosuosso said. “And once we’re all past this, people will be so incredibly desperate to be around each other, to be in community again, to be together. And what’s the best way to do that? A concert. So, the business will just re-explode.”
Whichever scenario the future has in store, Santosuosso reflected on the power of music in any form — real or virtual.
“That is why we are so connected to music, right?” Santosuosso said. “Because it really is an emotional touchpoint for all of us. No matter what type of music it is, we have a song that means more than anything to us, and that’s the power they have.”
Published on April 20, 2020 at 4:04 pm
