With social distancing as the new normal, countless musicians have taken to the internet, staging live video concerts of all kinds on multiple social media platforms. How did players manage a century ago, during the Spanish Flu pandemic? Now, at last, people have cause to be less snarky and more appreciative of online interactions, and musicians especially so.
David McClister
Southern Avenue
This week, the concept of the live-streamed music concert is being ramped up to festival-like heights, thanks to the efforts of the Memphis Music Hub, a division of Memphis Tourism, who have collaborated with I Love Memphis and Music Export Memphis to coordinate the Get Live! Memphis event. Scheduled to take place from March 26 –March 28, the series serves as a fundraiser for Music Export Memphis’ COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund.
Over the course of those days, viewers need only log on to Facebook to view live-streamed performances by nearly a dozen of Memphis’ finest musicians, including headliners MonoNeon, Ben Nichols of Lucero, Grammy-nominated band Southern Avenue, and producer IMAKEMADBEATS.
Justin Fox Burks
IMAKEMADBEATS
“This is the time to give back to the Memphis music community that has given so much to our city’s cultural identity,” says Music Specialist Jayne Ellen White of the Memphis Music Hub. “Our music has brought such joy to so many and now is the time to speak to the world through our universal language: music.”
Ben Nichols
“Our local musicians play an integral part of the Memphis destination’s identity as a live music city,” says Kevin Kane, President and CEO of Memphis Tourism. “Their talents not only keep Memphis’ music scene vibrant but, now more than ever, they are able to share those talents to lift up, not only our local community but also a world of music fans. As people around the world connect with us during this virtual musical festival, these outstanding artists will have an opportunity to not only share their talents with new audiences, but also share messages of hope.”
Justin Fox Burks
MonoNeon
To view the festival performances, viewers need only visit the Get Live! Memphis event page on Facebook and the various performers will connect their feeds at the appointed times. The festival schedule is:
Thursday, March 26th
7:00: MonoNeon
Friday, March 27th, 8PM – 10PM
8:00: D’Monet
8:30: IMAKEMADBEATS
9:00: Louise Page
9:30: Southern Avenue
Saturday, March 28th, 8PM – 10PM
8:00: Brandon Kinder of The Wealthy West
8:30: Doll McCoy & Derek Brassel
9:00: Cameron Bethany
9:30: Ben Nichols of Lucero
Toonky Berry
