Aloha from the island of Maui! It feels good to finally take time off work and be with my family. We’re early risers here, which means our morning routine of breakfast, walk, coffee is complete before 9am. The whole day is our oyster, and that’s a pretty wonderful thing to have for a week.
The Return of Concerts
My height is a competitive advantage at concerts. Standing tall at 5’3, you may think — excuse me, what?
Shakespeare said it best: “though she be but little, she is fierce.” Maneuvering myself to the front of any pit or music festival crowd is a gift. Concerts are my happy place. They’re where I go to feel every lyric and emotion come to life — I’ve lost my voice, laughed, cried, and made it a habit of going to a concert a month.
Two days before the world as we knew it shut down, I danced to Tame Impala with 17,000 of my closest friends at The Forum. A year later, I’m listening to Caamp play their debut album front to back online in my living room. Times have changed.
Desperate for new music last spring, I scoured the internet for concerts on NPR Tiny Desk and Instagram Live. I discovered a thread on Twitter with people listing all the live shows they’d attended from A to Z, so I joined in on the fun and included a screenshot here for your enjoyment. If anyone has a favorite artist whose name starts with a Q, holler at your girl because on the chance I’ll eventually see the 1975, it’s the only one I need to have a complete set. Gotta catch ‘em all, am I right?
With festival and concert announcements galore, Hypebot reports 73% music fans have already purchased tickets for this year. People are ready for live shows. But will the experience be as close to normal as we’re used to? Newcastle (north of London) had their first crack at an outdoor concert last summer.
I had a great conversation around virtual vs. live concerts on a Sunlighter Clubhouse session. We talked about how to justify paying for concert tickets to watch on the internet. Some argue when artists like Porter Robinson or Travis Scott bring their albums to life on stage, it’s worth every penny. Fans are immersed in the artist’s world online, feeling like they’re part of the journey, seamlessly interacting with elements of the show. Similar to the concept of fans owning music NFTs, they own a piece of that artist experience in their mind. Ultimately, fan loyalty is king whether you’re shoulder to shoulder at Coachella or in your living room.
The Caamp show live on Mandolin was my first virtual concert experience and they did not miss a single beat. Fans had the option of buying merchandise through the click of a button (beats those long lines at live shows tbh) or socializing with one another via group chat. Sharing the countries and cities they’re watching from and even a little playful banter. The group chat reminded me of text and tweet shout outs at concerts circa 2008. Fans would text a number, have their message or tweet with the official tour hashtag pop up on the big screen with hopes they’d get the artist’s attention. Now, it’s a real-time feed of fans engaging with each other and the artist.
Whether artists are performing a show on Mandolin, Yoop, TikTok, or YouTube, this past unorthodox year in music proved that if they build, loyal fans will always come. Even online, artists can experience massive growth in their relationships with fans through ticketing, merch, streams, or other digital goods like NFTs. Virtual concerts aren’t going anywhere anytime soon, but I’m excited to get back to live shows this year. I’ll leave you with a humble brag: I took this picture of sunset at Austin City Limits in 2016. I swear there’s nothing like it. Catch you at the front of the crowd ;)
RN | Songs I’m listening to…right now.
Future Nostalgia walked so this song could run. The disco renaissance is in full force, and Sigrid delivers a confident anthem of self-empowerment pitch perfectly to prove it. The first single since her debut album Sucker Punch in 2019, Sigrid is a 24-year-old Norwegian vocalist who’s just getting started. Here’s her cover of Watermelon Sugar, because we all need a little more Harry Styles in our lives.
I’ve been hyped on Cautious Clay since I discovered Joshua Tree a few months ago.
The heavenly orchestral intro on this track turns into a syncopated rhythm, carrying the song forward with a smooth jazz momentum—from hypnotizing synth sounds to harmonies galore—and I’m here for every minute of it.
I first heard this song in high school and have loved it ever since. The word ‘sealion’ is the metronome alongside the twangy folk-rock guitar melodies and claps-for-percussion. You’ll love it too, I promise.
Lyrics on Loop | Find the lyrics that speak to your soul and never let go.
And the days go by, like a strand in the wind
In the web that is my own, I begin again
Lay your dreams, little darlin', in a flower bed
I had to lace my shoes for all the blessings I was chasin’
A playlist with every song I’ve highlighted this year exists. Follow along on all the fun here.
Have the best weekend ever. You deserve it.
Love,
Donya
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