It’s no secret that the coronavirus epidemic has severely affected every part of music culture to some extent. Live shows in particular have been hit extremely hard by the virus, as well as the bands and artists who mostly rely on them for income. Without a reliable set of tours and places to play at, both venues as well as the musicians themselves have certainly found themselves in a difficult position.

While it’s fairly impossible right now to have a fully stacked festival concert with thousands of people, local bands and artists have found creative ways to play gigs while still staying safe. One particular way this has been achieved is through acoustic outside shows. The reason for the show being acoustic is that it is required by law to have a permit if one wants to use amplification. 

The safety is kept by the policy of mandatory masks as well as a limit on the number of people that will be invited. As someone who both played at this show and watched performances there, it was a resounding success, social distance was maintained and it was a great time for everyone involved. The most critical thing in my eyes is that even in these distraught times, the community can still be kept intact through great people setting up these events.

The second show that I attended/performed at was a show in someone’s backyard. The difference between this show and the last one is that there was amplification involved. This is because it was on someone’s property instead of a park, like the previous concert, so no permit was needed. This show was an amazing experience, even though it was extremely cold, being able to get everyone together for a fully amplified set was fantastic. It’s an amazing feeling to know that local musicians will stick together even through the pandemic.