Lifestyle.
By Jacqueline Smith
NEW YORK – A carpet-clad stage is covered with sound systems, and the overhead spotlights cast a shadow on the equipment. Cords connecting to amplifiers and an assortment of musical instruments are sprawled across the space. Singer-songwriter Annie DiRusso finishes soundcheck with her band, and they all await their signal to stroll on stage and begin the set. On the 8 p.m. mark, they take the stage and greet their audience – through a 15-inch computer screen.
New York raised, Nashville based indie-rock artist Annie DiRusso, 21, had always wanted to play a show at Baby’s All Right, a concert venue in Brooklyn. She did not expect to be playing this show on a video call at home with her band, who was just hitting their stride, playing every weekend last February and booked out for months before coronavirus shut everything down.
DiRusso vividly recalls the music scene pre-pandemic and misses the intimacy of live performances. “I just really love being able to embody the songs, I feel like that’s why I write them, so that I can play them live. They don’t really sound the same always live, there’s just like a different energy to it, to being in a room and people receiving what you’re saying or sometimes already knowing what you’re going to say,” says DiRusso. “But I just love that feeling of, I don’t know… It’s like kind of a release, but it’s also like you’re giving so much but you’re getting so much back from the audience. The connection I miss.”
The future of the music industry and the return of concerts remains uncertain for artists and audiences, but virtual concerts have offered a temporary, safe solution for music lovers, allowing artists to connect with their virtual audiences through a small screen. Some might even prefer the experience of live music from the comfort of their own homes, away from the crowds.
Like many artists, DiRusso booked many live stream shows with various venues in Los Angeles, Nashville, and other locations at the start of the pandemic, thinking it wouldn’t be long until live music returned. She finds these venue-based live streams to be more intense, though, and dislikes not being able to hear the music the way one would in a venue, as well as the time lag between her performance and the viewers’ incoming comments.
She doesn’t see herself continuing live stream shows with venues once in person shows resume, but she plans to continue TikTok live streams when she can. She enjoys these virtual shows because she’s able to connect with new audiences through performances casually conducted in the comfort of her room.
Also enjoying the casual nature of a virtual platform to perform live is singer-songwriter Laura Elliott, who has been live streaming even prior to the pandemic. “It’s cool. I can do it whenever I want, like I don’t have to schedule a live stream,” Elliott, 21, shares. “‘Oh I feel like playing this song today and I want people to hear it? I’m gonna go live.’”
While she describes her relationship with social media as “love-hate,” she enjoys receiving instant feedback on new music and connecting virtually with newer audiences. She goes live at least once a week, if not more, and is grateful for any number of viewers. She still is eager to return to live performances, though. She describes herself as a rather shy person, but performing is one of the few times she feels she is able to open up and share thoughts with others.
“Throughout my life, I think the most consistent thing in my musical career was the performance aspect of music for me. It’s always been my favorite thing to do, like, just getting on stage, doing music in front of people and sharing that moment. So, I think not being able to do that has definitely been really difficult for me,” Elliott shares.
In the meantime, while she awaits the return of live shows, she has found herself on being more creative and confident in finding herself. She’s recording constantly, and thinks she would be playing live shows often if not for the pandemic. She shares the time in quarantine has given her a firmer grasp on her sound and style of music, though, and thinks she wouldn’t have found this groove without so much time and independence as a result of the pandemic.
Laura has been fortunate enough to record in studios with some producers who follow safety protocols and feel comfortable with the process. Her latest single, “Caroline,” was produced in a studio, but her upcoming single was recorded on an eight-hour long video call using Zoom and an online audio streaming service. Elliott explains this process was difficult and strange, but she feels lucky that it worked out and says it’s her favorite song recorded to date.
She describes the future of the music industry as a series of question marks and says that she, along with many other artists, is eager to return to live shows. As for now, she plans to continue using live streams to reach her fans, for as long as this technology is available.
“When we are able to do these live stream performances and everything, it’s so special for us right now. I just feel grateful to even be able to do any sort of live-ish performance at all and to know that like we’re equally as ready and excited to get back to things being normal – whatever that means!”
Before the pandemic called for virtual concerts in limited capacities, the live music scene was a big community that allowed concert-goers to share an experience and connect with the artist, as well as fellow audience members. Live music was once a source of expression and a place of unity for music lovers dating back to Woodstock. Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, located in Bethel N.Y., has preserved the memories of Woodstock for nearly 30 years, but is still searching for ways to continue this connection during the pandemic.
The establishment was founded in the mid-90s, as part of the Gerry Foundation. The 800-acre property was the site of the original Woodstock Music & Art Fair and the “Day in the Garden” musical festival. This three-day event marked the 30th anniversary of the 1969 Woodstock festival.
In 2002, a cultural and performing arts center was created as part of the foundation. In 2006, the Bethel Woods Center for the Arts publicly opened with a performance by the New York Philharmonic. Since then, legendary artists including Elton John, Van Halen, Lady Gaga, and Jimmy Buffet have performed onstage, and the vision of the Gerry Foundation carries on today. This outdoor pavilion arena has the ability to hold an audience over 16,000 capacity, and welcomes crowds during the center’s popular summer music series of outdoor concerts.
The Gerry Foundation vision, however, did not account for a pandemic that would call for the hiatus of live shows and gatherings. “Our industry was completely shook up when the pandemic hit and has been so much for lasting than we could have ever imagined when we left the office back in March. We are very lucky to have such a great team of employees that really came together over the past year to show how versatile we could be stepping outside our comfort zone.” Julie Kaufman, Director of Events, shares.
Kaufman explains that such forced pivots might change how the center approaches events and planning in a post-pandemic future. Bethel Woods has done only a handful of live stream programs since last March, including a Curator Talk discussing music and memories of Woodstock with Senior Curator Neal Hitch and Woodstock alumni and Museum docent Jim Shelley. Kaufman was excited to have been able to use this virtual programming to reach people from all over the world, who would not have been able to attend if not for the streaming service. The establishment has also relied on its outdoor space to host mini exhibits, allowing visitors to safely connect. These events are likely to continue throughout the spring, especially with recent news of Governor Cuomo allowing N.Y. indoor arenas with capacity over 10,000 to open at 10% capacity.
With this news, Bethel Woods is optimistic about the summer and late fall, and has started planning many possible scenarios. The establishment plans to creatively use all 800-acres of land to accommodate guests and restore some normalcy of live events safely. “It comes down following the state mandate and to accommodating our guests safely. We are very eager to open up our doors and will be doing so the first chance we get!”
While the future is still unclear as every state progresses at their own pace during the pandemic, there is slight hope for a slight return to normalcy with outdoor concerts in warmer weather. In the meantime, virtual concerts continue to offer comfort and create unity among audiences and artists often experiencing the same emotions.
“Keep on listening to music, don’t put too much pressure on yourself,” DiRusso shares. “Be patient and kind to yourself, and watch back old videos of live shows- that’s what I do!”