By Cas Bristol

Staff Writer

   Due to the ongoing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, concerts for bands and solo musicians have been put on hiatus, resulting in artists and venues trying to figure out how to cope.

   In lieu of live shows, many bands have started doing online live streaming concerts. Sophomore Emily Dinh saw K-pop group Stray Kids online. “It was enjoyable, but nowhere near concerts in real life. You can’t really get hyped,” said Dinh.

   One problem with online performances is the negative impact on local venues. According to The National Independent Venue Association, “We [venues] were the first to close. We will be the last to open. We are 100 percent shut down for an indefinite period of time. We have zero revenue” (saveourstages.com). 

   Despite this, some venues can still function as restaurants. Junior Anton Gillespie said, “I played at a venue called Fast Times [in Clairemont], and I heard that since they are both a restaurant and a venue, they are still doing okay with the state restrictions.” 

   With live music being one option, many artists have begun recording music in their home studios. Gillespie said, “I recently spent a few weeks at home recording my first album In True Color.” Those who have access to recording equipment at home have an advantage during the pandemic.

   Ocean Beach indie band Fashion Jackson began the year hosting concerts in Minecraft. According to NBC News, they were able to do this by inviting fans to a Minecraft server and a Discord server, allowing viewers to listen to live versions of songs while dancing and attaining special perks within the game (nbcsandiego.com).

   UK post-punk band IDLES, who released their new album Ultra Mono on September 25, postponed all of their tour dates and hosted weekly talk shows with band members, according to their official website. The talk shows, called Balley TV, Genks, and Dumb and Drumber, included interviews with other prominent artists, guitar tone tutorials, and games (idlesband.com).