ON THE (VIRTUAL) ROAD
Sidewalk Prophets to perform online for Albuquerque-based audience
Dave Frey’s has been adjusting to a new normal of life — almost daily. The lead singer of Sidewalk Prophets saw his touring life come to a halt amid the pandemic. The band was also gearing up to release its album “The Things That Got Us Here.” The release date has been moved to July 3.
Then he and his wife welcomed their first baby into the world on May 12.
Balancing dad duties, Frey and the band have dreamed up something big — a virtual concert series.
“It’s going to be interesting,” he says. “We’re going into rehearsals for a few weeks. We have a nice setup, because not a lot of places are being used.”
Sidewalk Prophets will perform a show at 7 p.m. Friday, June 19, for an Albuquerque audience.
Frey says the band will perform live on stage — just like a regular show — but there will be no audience inside the venue. Instead, those with tickets can watch the show for free.
“The past several weeks have been scary and uncertain for many of us, but we believe great things will come from these experiences. Now, more than ever, we need to be proactively pushing back against fear, anxiety and worry,” Frey says. “The best way we know how to do that is by using the God-given gift of creativity. We’re excited to creatively deliver a brandnew album, a brand-new type of tour, and most importantly, a message of hope during this time.”
Registration is required at virtualtours. greatbigfamilyproductions.com/ albuquerque-nm, and then an email with the code will be sent to you. This is open to fans within a 300-mile radius of Albuquerque. Those who live outside of the radius have a chance to purchase and “out of radius” pass or a season pass to view all livestream events.
“We wanted to feel like it was a tour in your own house,” Frey says. “It’ll be a chance to let our great big family of fans into our lives for a night.”
Frey says the band wanted to perform live each night to make it feel like a tour for the band, as well.
“Each set will be different,” he says. “This is what we can do to allow us to still touch some lives. I think more than anything, it’s fun to make music again. Being in the room with each other, 6 feet apart. This also gives us a chance to expand our audience, because maybe there are people that wouldn’t come into a church to see us, but they would watch from the comfort of their own home.”