CAN’T STOP, WON’T STOP
As festivals are postponed and concert venues across the world are temporarily closed, musicians aren’t stopping. In the past few weeks, we have seen many artists from around the world taking to social and streaming platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and YouTube to play music live for their fans — many straight from living rooms, bedrooms or home studios. Artists like Coldplay’s Chris Martin as well as John Legend were among those who started the trend, which they collaborated on for Together, At Home,a new series of online concerts presented by the World Health Organization and Global Citizen. The performances were soon followed by those from Miley Cyrus, Camila Cabello and Shawn Mendes, Evanescence and Rufus Wainwright. Now there are dozens of other musicians scheduling shows of their own.
Here are some of interesting live-streaming performances that we know of. You can catch them right now from the safety of your own couch.
Artist: Coldplay Where: Instagram When: Now
Coldplay’s Chris Martin said hi to music fans last week via Coldplay’s “Instagram Live” (which you can still view). Chris Martin said that since the band members were stuck in different countries, he decided to play a little concert from home as well as take requests from fans and commenters alike. He played tunes like David Bowie’s Life On Mars and Coldplay’s Green Eyes, which fans haven’t heard at live shows much in recent years.
Artist: Death Cab for Cutie
Where: Death Cab for Cutie’s official Facebook page.
When: Everyday at 4pm (Pacific Standard Time)
Ben Gibbard, the lead singer of American alternative rock band Death Cab for Cutie, is one of the few artists planning daily streams.
“I know you are all really freaked out right now,” said Gibbard in a note to fans on Twitter on March 17. “I am too. And while I’m proud that we’re all doing the necessary things at the moment to help flatten the curve, I know it has left us all incredibly isolated.” The singer-songwriter also announced that he’ll be playing music live from his home studio every day at 4pm PST for the next few weeks on YouTube and Facebook.
Artist: Charlie Puth Where: Instagram When: Now
Heartthrob singer Charlie Puth became the next musician to take part in the hashtag #TogetherAtHome when he livestreamed a 30-minute set of piano performances last week, which you can now watch in a post on his Instagram page.
The singer-songwriter encouraged fans to “stay home, wash your hands”, and visit Global Citizen’s website to learn more about slowing the spread of the coronavirus.
“When they asked me to be a part of this, of course, I said yes,” he said of the organisation. “Encouraging people to keep practising social distancing — but why not have some fun and listen to some music while you’re doing that?”
Artist: Hozier Where: Facebook and Instagram When: April 3 at 5pm (EST)
Irish musician Andrew John Hozier-Byrne, known professionally as Hozier, will perform a set as part of the “Together At Home” concert series. You can watch his Facebook and Instagram live performance in a post on his feed.
Expect to hear acoustic versions of his original songs, as his previous livestream session included tunes like Nina Cried Power and From Eden, and covered fan-requested songs like Britney Spears’ Toxic.
Artist: Christine and the Queens Where: Instagram
When: Everyday at 6pm (Eastern Time)
French group Christine and the Queens is currently playing music live on Instagram, around 6pm every day since taking part in “Together At Home” on March 23, where she gave a 14-minute performance straight from the Ferber recording studio in Paris.
“Why not meet every day at 6pm EST on my Instagram?” wrote the singer in a message to fans. “I’ll find a way to deal with the ennui. Guests and weird concepts included.”