As we head into the Fourth of July holiday weekend, we average folks might be prepping the hot dogs and potato salad for a socially distanced celebration, but some musicians are getting ready for their livestream sets instead.
As the coronavirus pandemic continues to rage around in the United States, leading to a slowing of re-openings — and in some cases, renewed shutdowns — musicians are continuing to connect with their fans from a safe distance via livestream performances. That includes Patti LaBelle, Trace Adkins and many others for PBS’ 40th annual A Capitol Fourth, which is going virtual this year due to the pandemic.
Below, check out the livestreams you can enjoy from your couch this week. We’ll update this list as more events are announced.
June 29: Katie Crutchfield’s Waxahatchee is performing Out in the Storm in its entirety beginning at 9 p.m. ET. Tickets are $15, and benefit Kansas City’s Art As Mentorship. The show will be streamed at NoonChorus.com.
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June 30: Jimmy Eat World, Sam Fisher and more are performing for RCA Records and the Human Rights Campaign’s 2020 Pride Benefit Concert. The event begins at 4 p.m. ET, and streams on RCA’s YouTube page.
July 1: Eric Benet is doing a 90-minute set called “Eric After Dark” that will include fan-favorite songs and a Q&A. Jon B. will also be performing. The livestream begins at 11 p.m. ET on EricAfterDark.com.
Jeff Rosenstock of punk band The Arrogant Sons of Bitches and indie group Kudrow plays a 20-song set of fan requests on Instagram Live. The set is free, but song requests will be $2 each, with proceeds going to Black Lives Matter causes. “I want to raise some money to assist the people who are fighting hard for equality in America,” he explained in an Instagram post. The stream begins at 9 p.m. ET.
AURORA will host nine acts from Holland, UK, the US and Norway in her hometown of Bergen. The event will go live at 3 p.m. EST, and AURORA will be announcing a new artist every day leading up to the event. AURORA will do a quick Q&A before the artists perform one song each from wherever in the world they are based. To support these artists in a difficult time, AURORA will be donating all income from ticket sales to the artists. See tickets here.
July 2: Kelsea Ballerini will go live here with RADIO.com at 6 p.m. ET, where she’ll be sharing songs off her self-titled new album and chat about how she’s been feeling during this tumultuous times.
LA Sound Traxx will round out Union Station Summer Sessions at 10 p.m. ET on Facebook and YouTube. La Marisoul will perform an eclectic mix of music in the Historic Ticket Hall to kick off the holiday weekend.
July 3: LiveXLive will stream 4th With The Family, with a special acoustic performance by Zac Brown Band, at 8:00 p.m. ET. All benefits will go to Zac Brown’s non profit project Camp Southern Ground and its veteran support programs, Warrior Week and Warrior PATHH. “Not only do we have the opportunity to perform for our fans for the first time in a while, but more importantly, we can raise crucial funds that support the mental health and well being of our veterans,” said Zac Brown, who founded the non-profit. The show begins at 8 p.m. ET, and can be streamed on the band’s YouTube and Facebook pages.
July 3-5: Now in its 15th year, London’s annual Wireless festival is going virtual. Tune in to the free, three-day Wireless Connect for performances from Saweetie, iann dior, Guapdad4000, Tyga, Gunna, Sheck Wes, Rich the Kid, Skepta and others, plus unseen footage, highlights from last year’s fest and more. The virtual experience is made possible through a partnership with music-based virtual reality platform MelodyVR. To watch, download the MelodyVR app for your smartphone (or VR headset!), or stream the festivities on Wireless’ official Facebook and YouTube channels.
July 4: PBS’ A Capitol Fourth will be livestreaming here on July 4 at 8 p.m. ET. This year, the show is hosted by John Stamos and Vanessa Williams, featuring performances by by Patti LaBelle, John Fogerty, Renée Fleming, The Temptations, Trace Adkins, Andy Grammer, Yolanda Adams, Brantley Gilbert, Lauren Alaina, Chrissy Metz, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Kelli O’Hara, Mandy Gonzalez and the National Symphony Orchestra, With Live Fireworks from Washington, D.C.
LiveXLive will live-stream Spring Awakening, the Midwest’s largest all-electronic music festival, as a global virtual experience on July 4 and 5. Adventure Club, Destructo, Kavion, Gene Farris, Goldroom, Regard and Vicetone and more will perform.