San Antonio Express-News (Sunday)
Sidewalk Prophets’ virtual music
When the COVID-19 shutdowns started in mid-March, movie releases, concerts and even traditional church services went by the wayside.
Such unusual times can be challenging for artists, demanding innovation while considering the imposed limits.
Members of the Christian music band Sidewalk Prophets found themselves in the conundrum of finding ways to reach their audience at a pivotal, yet unpredictable, time.
The band’s first studio album in five years, “The Things That Got Us Here,” was set for a May 22 release. The pandemic, and the uncertainty surrounding it, forced the band to move back the album’s release to July 3.
Though a concert slated for Nashville’s iconic Ryman Auditorium is still on for July 5, a tour supporting the new release is on hold.
“When Ben saw the way things were going, with the cancellation of our spring and summer tours, he realized right away that if our fans can’t come to us in a traditional concert setting, we need to figure out a way to get to them,” Sidewalk Prophets frontman and lead singer Dave Frey said of rhythm guitarist Ben McDonald.
The two, along with lead guitarist Shaun Tomczak and bassist Cal Hoskins, make up Sidewalk Prophets, a Grammy-nominated and Dove Award-winning band that’s been making Contemporary Christian music for almost 20 years.
“From the first day Ben wandered into my dorm room at Anderson University in 2001 and convinced me to make a demo tape with him I knew he was a genius. He’s always been the guy with the big vision,” Frey said, recalling the band’s early days at the Indiana university.
Many artists across all musical genres have been doing variations of virtual concerts during the time of COVID-19.
“We’ve all really enjoyed seeing many of our favorite artists chilled out and relaxed in their living rooms, wearing sweat pants and playing their greatest hits over the past several weeks,” Frey said, “but we wanted to do something different, something a little more professional.”
The band created a concert experience they think will best mimic a live show.
“Our hope is to not only create the atmosphere of a live event, with lighting, multiple camera angles and other elements of a live show, but to also give fans the option of watching the show in 3D,” Frey said.
Building off the use of 3D technology, Sidewalk Prophets members were inspired to give fans a unique experience.
“We have 12 virtual shows scheduled and we’ll have a different set list every night, played live, with a full stage setup, based on fan voting from previous shows.” Frey explained. “Each tour date will also be regional, with limited access based on how far you live from the designated concert city.”
San Antonio is one of the stops on the Virtual Tour. Other cities in the tour include Dallas, Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco.
“We love San Antonio and we’re really excited that you’re one of our (stops),” Frey said.
The Sidewalk Prophets Virtual Tour connects to San Antonio at 7 p.m. Thursday via the band’s website: https://sidewalk-prophets.myshopify.com.
It’s free to view the live show; fans can purchase upgrade options for a VIP Prepay Show starting at 5:30 p.m. that includes a Q&A and gaming opportunities with the band.
The Rev. Tim Adams has been working as a freelance writer for 22 years, is a San Antonio native and serves as pastor of Resurrection United Methodist Church in southeast San Antonio.