The star-studded, March 26-29 live-streamed festival is hosted by Michigan Music Alliance as way to raise donations for the Michigan Artist Relief Fund that’s assisting musicians hurt by the COVID-19 crisis.
Four Days of Online Music: The first “Spread the Music Festival.”
Presenting: Virtual music festivals.
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The latest turn in the music world’s response to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic has some musicians, promoters and online “venues” announcing live-streaming “festivals” featuring a variety of stars, local and national.
With tours canceled and venues closed, national groups such as the 11E1EVEN Group, Nugs.tv and Sweet Relief Musicians Fund have announced alternative events such as the “Live From Out There,” a virtual festival featuring performances by well-known touring acts Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, Twiddle, Goose, Sunsquabi and eight others.
This schedule is subject to change
But locally, the Michigan Music Alliance is assembling three times that many artists, with more three dozen Michigan bands and solo artists slated to play the first-ever “Spread the Music Festival” taking place online March 26-29.
Mark Lavengood, Act Casual, The Accidentals, Erin Zindle & The Ragbirds, The Marsupials, Nicholas James Thomasma, Hannah Rose Graves, Max Lockwood, Lipstick Jodi and many more will live-stream performances from their own homes and remote locations, with Michigan Music Alliance — with help from Walk the Beat and Crooked Tree Creative — coordinating and airing the live-stream festival on its Facebook page.
The “stream-a-thon” is designed to raise attention — and donations — for the new Michigan Artist Relief Fund that’s collecting contributions that will be distributed to bands and musicians who’ve lost income and performance revenue due to canceled shows.
Elle Lively of Crooked Tree Creative said that with a “full lockdown” expected due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the live-streamed, virtual music festival represents an ideal way for fans to see their “favorite Michigan-based artists” from the safety of their own homes.
“The goal is to raise awareness for the fund and hopefully encourage donations by expanding the reach of our Facebook page,” she said. “Also, never had so many artists had this much free time. What better to do? I’m still adding artists and willing to add anyone else who wants to perform and join in.
“Is it possible to throw a huge music festival without it even being real?”
Diana Ladio of The Moxie Strings will kick things off at 6 p.m. Thursday (March 26), followed by Nathan Walton and Stormy Chromer. Act Casual will kick off Friday’s slate of performances at noon, with a different artist playing sets on the hour every hour through midnight. On Saturday, Amy Love kicks off the festival at 11 a.m.; on Sunday, Escaping Pavement does its thing, with a full slate of performances to follow.
See the full schedule here; get more details online here.
The Michigan Artist Relief Fund has been established to assist Michigan musicians who’ve lost income and performance opportunities due to the current crisis. Read more about it online here. Donate to the fund here. Musicians can apply for funds starting Friday (March 20). Also, Local Spins has started a new “Viral Virtual Venues” listing of upcoming live-stream concerts by Michigan artists. See the list here, where bands can also enter information for their own virtual concerts.
Copyright 2020, Spins on Music LLC
