Wednesday, March 18, 2020

Seven Music Live Streams to Check Out While “Social Distancing”


COVID-19 has been ravaging the music industry, putting the concert industry at a stand-still as states close venues and artists cancel shows and other large gatherings in exchange for “social distancing.”

In lieu of concert halls with hundreds or thousands of people in attendance, a handful of artists have been making the leap to live streaming. An uptick in the practice started in the last week, with artists such as Code Orange, Cro-Mags, John Legend and more already clocking in time from their own homes. From singular artists “hanging out” with their fans through quiet social media gatherings to large festivals of multiple artists moving online, there is still way more to come.

Vinyl Bay 777, Long Island’s music outlet, has pulled together a list of some of the already announced live streams taking place over the next few weeks. Here are seven to look forward to while stuck at home.


1.       Ben Gibbard: Death Cab For Cutie / The Postal Service frontman Ben Gibbard will be live-streaming intimate sets from his home studio every day at 7PM Eastern on Facebook and YouTube. He started last night, playing a ten-song set of fan favorites and a cover of Radiohead’s “Fake Plastic Trees.” Gibbard announced his plans on Tuesday, saying that fans can even expect special guests to “stop by digitally.” (Daily, 7PM Eastern, Facebook / YouTube)

2.       Christine and the Queens: Similarly to Gibbard, French singer/band Christine and the Queens will be live streaming on Christine’s Instagram at 6PM Eastern every day. According to a post on Twitter, “guests and weird concepts” will be included in the streams. The first stream featured a discussion with Charli XCX. (Daily, 6PM Eastern, Instagram)

3.       Shut In & Sing: Described on StageIt as “a group of songwriters joining forces to stay connected through music and community,” Shut In & Sing is an ongoing concert event launched by Kelly McCartney (‘Hangin’ & Sangin’ podcast) and singer/songwriter Natalia Zukerman featuring music from country, folk and Americana artists on a nightly basis. Artists range from the fairly well-known (such as Jill Sobule [3/21] and Lori McKenna [3/28]) to up-and-comers looking for a break. The first show starts Thursday and more are booked through April 11. All shows are pay-what-you-can. (March 19-April 11[so far], Times Vary, StageIt)

4.       Luck Reunion Festival: Initially slated to begin on Thursday (3/19), Willie Nelson’s Luck Reunion Festival has moved from his backyard to the internet. ‘Luck Presents: ‘Till Further Notice’ will feature performances from Nelson and his sons, Margo Price, Jewel and more, as well as segments with “partners, charities, and makers that make up the cherished “Luck Family.” The show starts at 7PM Eastern on the Luck Reunion website, Twitch and Facebook. It is free, though a tip jar is available for those who want to donate to the artists. (March 19, 7PM Eastern, Luck Reunion/Facebook/Twitch)

5.       The Indigo Girls: After cancelling all of their March and April tour dates (including one right here on Long Island), The Indigo Girls will be taking to Facebook on Thursday for a “low key, home grown set of songs” and a “Q and A.” The stream is to celebrate the band’s upcoming album, ‘Look Long,’ out May 22. (March 19, 6PM Eastern, Facebook)

6.       Ultra Virtual Audio Festival: With Miami’s Ultra Music Festival cancelled, the festival is teaming up with SiriusXM to bring EDM fans a “virtual” alternative. The Ultra Virtual Audio Festival will be presented starting Friday (3/20) on the limited-run station UMF Radio. Artists joining the fest include Armin van Buuren, Afrojack, Martin Garrix and Major Laser, among others. (March 20-23, 5PM Eastern, SiriusXM Channel 52)

7.       Neil Young: Announced on his Neil Young Archives site Monday that he plans to start streaming what he calls “Fireside Sessions” in the near future. Young’s wife Daryl Hannah will be filming the sets, describing it “a down-home production” with “a few songs,” and “a little time together.”


Now, more than ever, we need music to help us deal with the world in crisis.  These are just some of the artists and events who are attempting to bring people together through the power of music amidst the chaos. With the growing amount of restrictions being put in place, it’s only a matter of time before even more artists join the ones above in live streaming sets.

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Find music from many of these artists and more at Vinyl Bay 777. As one of Long Island’s largest independent record shops, we have thousands of titles to choose from in a wide variety of genres. Browse our selection of new and used vinyl records, CDs, cassettes, music DVDs, memorabilia and more in store at our Plainview location or online at vinylbay777.com. With more titles being added to our selection all the time, you never know what you might find at Vinyl Bay 777.

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