By Madeline Barry
Live music lovers, rejoice! You can still get your groove on via the virtual stage. All you need is an Instagram or Facebook account. Check out the listings below for some streaming recommendations.
For those who want to rock and roll:
The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, New York has hosted some of the biggest names in rock and roll (Janis Joplin, Pink Floyd, The Grateful Dead, Bob Dylan, B.B. King, the Roots, Elvis Costello, David Bowie and The Rolling Stones, to name just a few). So it is fitting that the famed venue continues to share music with fans, even though crowds can’t converge to listen as one. Click “like” on the Capitol Theatre’s Facebook page to receive information about all sorts of music streams. Some performances take place in real time, such as a live Q & A on May 6 with the Grateful Dead’s Phil Lesh. Other acts are footage from older concerts, for example shows from the annual Lockn’ music festival which takes place in the summer. The Capitol Theatre Facebook page
Additionally, in the lobby of the Capitol Theatre is a separate area with a smaller stage and bar. This is Garcia’s (named after the one and only Jerry). The Garcia’s Facebook page is also streaming plenty of live music from all kinds of rock and roll, folk, and reggae musicians. If you want to show the music community some love, drop a few dollars in the “Virtual Tip Jar.” Garcia's Facebook Page
Got kids or grandkids who need to boogie? Kid Friendly Alert! Check out The Rock and Roll Playhouse’s “Live From The Playroom” shows. The Rock and Roll Playhouse advertises itself as “a weekly family concert series providing kids and parents a place to inspire creativity through music across the country.” Formerly held at small venues throughout the United States (Garcia’s being one), these days the weekly concerts take place in your home. The interactive concert experiences are twenty-minutes long and daily. They even offer children’s yoga! The Rock and Roll Playhouse Facebook page
Neil Young’s third “Fireside Sessions” is available on his website, Neil Young Archives. The sessions (three in total, but only the third is available in the archives for now) are filmed by Young’s wife, Daryl Hannah. In the third 30-minute production, Young and Hannah’s dogs are the real stars of the show. In between Young’s acoustic sets, Hannah films the pups frolicking through the melting snow of the couple’s scenic Telluride, CO. property. The setlist from the third Fireside Session includes:
New Mama
See the Sky About to Rain
I Am a Child
Throw Your Hatred Down
World On a String
Helpless
Already One
On Tuesday nights, jam rockers Phish stream their weekly “Dinner and a Movie” series from their Facebook page. Each installment features a different show from the extensive Phish archives. Feeling charitable? Donate to The WaterWheel Foundation, the charity that Phish founded in 1997 to give back to the communities they visit on their extensive tours. According to Phish’s website, the WaterWheel Foundation “chooses non-profits from a large sphere of needs including social services, primarily those benefitting women and children; environmental, with a focus on clean water and land conservation with public access; as well as food banks, urban gardening and the like.” Phish Facebook page
For those who are Broadway bound:
On Friday nights, the YouTube page “The Shows Must Go On” streams Andrew Lloyd Webber shows. The YouTube channel features full length performances whose times are posted on the YouTube page, and are available for viewing for the following two days. Shows that have already aired include The Phantom of the Opera, Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat, and Jesus Christ Superstar. Proceeds from these shows have gone to organizations like Broadway Cares and The Actors Fund. Webber has also been very active on his Instagram page. He has shared isolation playlists and hosted singalongs, including a cover of “Hosanna” from Jesus Christ Superstar with a guest appearance by John Legend. The Shows Must Go On
For the distaff side of the audience:
Singer-songwriter H.E.R, aka Gabriella Wilson, hosts a weekly “Girls With Guitars” live stream on her Instagram page featuring a variety of female musicians. Following the pattern of generosity exhibited by many of these musicians, H.E.R. partners with a different company each week to raise money for specific pandemic-related causes. Lyft partnered with H.E.R.’s April 29 show featuring Sheryl Crow, in order to provide complimentary rides to medical staff. H.E.R.’s May 7 show includes a partnership with Revolve, which will be donating $5,000 worth of masks to hospitals in H.E.R.’s hometown of Vallejo, CA..
The folk-rock music group Indigo Girls will be live streaming Thursdays in May at 7 PM EST via Instagram Live and Facebook Live. The duo will host both a concert and a Q & A series. Their new album Look Long is going to be released on May 22.
For all sheltering-in-place music lovers:
B.P (Before Pandemic), did you used to frequent a local live music venue or bar that regularly featured live music? See if your favorite spot has a social media account and if they are streaming any local musicians. You might just get lucky!
Madeline Barry is a high school English teacher at Northside Charter High School in North Williamsburg, Brooklyn. She teaches three sections of senior English and two introductory Latin classes. Figuring out virtual learning, listening to music, and writing for The Insider has kept her semi-sane during the quarantine.
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