How to Continue to Support and Enjoy Live Music During the COVID-19 Pandemic

These are trying times, for sure.  None of us have been through anything like this.  A Nationwide emergency such as the Coronavirus Pandemic wreaking havoc through the world puts everything into perspective.

Our lives have all changed and will continue to do so.  Some of the perspective we gain relates to realizing what real hardship and suffering can be like to those less fortunate than ourselves.  We (speaking personally, here) are generally among the lucky.

That is not so for everyone.

While there are more groups and individuals that will suffer the effects of COVID-19 than we can possibly count, here at Festy GoNuts we are choosing to focus on what we know, and that is the Live Music Community.

Coronavirus is decimating the music industry, and its recovery when we eventually get through this pandemic is already in doubt.

Musicians and the people that work with them are already typically stretched thin.  And we’re not talking about Taylor Swift.  She’ll be fine.  We’re referring to the artists that we typically cover – many of them up-and-coming and struggling to stay afloat in the best of times.  We’re talking about the band you see at your local pub.  The acts that fill up every festival lineup so that you aren’t seeing the same three bands all summer long.

We’re also talking about lighting technicians, sound engineers, stagehands, vendors, festival staff, bus drivers and everyone who makes a living through Live Music.

With all live music events cancelled for the unforeseeable future, the question has been asked of us over and over: What can I do to help the music community?

We’ve asked around, done some research, and come up with some simple ways to continue to support – and enjoy! –  live music in this difficult time.

Looking for specific projects?  Jump to our suggestions for projects to support right now.

Ways to Support and Enjoy Live Music During the Coronavirus Pandemic:

Bob knows how to Couch Tour!  Photo by: Josh Timmermans | Noble Visions

Donate Money To Artists and Musicians

This sounds obvious, but it’s easier said than done. 

There are a ton of artists playing live music from their homes and asking for support on social media.  If you enjoy their art, click the link and give that support! 

How much should you donate to artists?  Think about how much money you would normally spend in a month on live music.  That’s a good suggested donation budget during this crisis.  Spread it around accordingly.

Support Kickstarter Campaigns

Kickstarter has become a huge asset for artists of all mediums, and musicians have been using it to bring projects to fruition that may otherwise have never seen the light of day. 

Go to the Kickstarter page and search for projects you would like to help out.  You can search by project types and locations, so it’s easy to support local artists.

Explore Kickstarter Projects

“Kickstart” used to have a different meaning.  Just ask someone cooler than you.

Hit the Virtual Merch Table

Merchandise always has been one of the best ways to support musicians. 

While event tickets sales are split up a hundred different ways, and online streaming income is minuscule, merchandise sales often go directly into the pocket of the artists. 

It’s common that the costs for the T-shirts and Hats on an artist’s website have already been accounted for, so when you buy something, that equates to immediate profit for the artist. 

Plus, you get a cool new shirt!

Even The Hoff knows to hit the merch table!

Support Artists on Bandcamp

Bandcamp – it’s not just a place for lost flutes.

Bandcamp is a great platform for supporting artists you love and discovering new ones.  According to Bandcamp, “When you buy something on Bandcamp, whether it’s digital music, vinyl, or a t-shirt, ticket or cassette, 80-85% of your money goes to the artist, and we pay out daily.”

Explore Bandcamp

Check out the Bandcamp Fair Trade Music Policy

Virtual Concerts

We’re not talking about Tupac at Coachella…

This is going to become the new norm, at least for a while.  When you see these pop up, consider buying tickets and watching a concert from the comfort of your couch, instead of binge-watching more zombie movies like you did last night.

Check out this website of Streaming Concerts with links and info for tipping

The Holograms might be making a comeback.

Charitable Organizations

If you have the means, now is more important than ever to donate to legitimate musician-based charitable organizations. 

Sweet Relief Musicians Fund provides financial assistance to all types of career musicians and music industry workers who are struggling to make ends meet while facing illness, disability, or age-related problems.

Sweet Relief Website

The Recording Academy (The Grammy people) and their foundation MusiCares have established the COVID-19 Relief Fund to help the music community.

MusiCares Coronavirus Relief Fund

Backline works to bring mental health and wellness resources to music industry professionals and their families by connecting them to a network of trusted providers.

Visit Backline.care Site

We didn’t have a good image for ‘Charitable Contributions’, so here’s a really, really cute baby sloth.

Postponed and Canceled Events

Just about every event on the planet has been postponed or canceled. 

If you have tickets to an event that has been canceled, look into the event policy to see if you can donate your ticket price directly to the artists in lieu of a refund. 

If you do get a full refund form a canceled event, consider spending that money directly on the artist who lost that event.  (See: Merch!)

Engage With Artists Online

Let’s face it, we’re all going to be spending A LOT more time online than normal.  That’s ok – we need to stay connected to one another somehow. 

A simple ‘like’ and ‘share’ can go a long way, however.  When you see local artists posting, do your best to help spread the word.  The more people that see a post, the more potential for that artist to earn a buck or two.

Here are a few Facebook Groups that are helping to actively spread content from artists:

VirtualFestival

The Social Distancing Livestream Page

Live from the Living Room Lounge

Hangin’ & Sangin’

Viral Music–Because Kindness Is Contagious

Livestream Nation

Who’s got 2 thumbs and wants you to like and share his post?  This guy!  (Can we really have too much Hoff in this post?)

Online Music Lessons

Many artists are offering online one-on-one lessons to help make a few bucks.  Many of these are kind of unbelievable.  Consider this – you may not get to see your favorite artist perform for a while, but instead, you can personally have her teach you to play the fiddle?

This is a unique opportunity to give back while still getting something amazing in return.  

Facebook Marketplace is a good place to search for online music lessons.

ARTISTWORKS is also an amazing platform, where you can access huge courses from greats like Bryan Sutton and Noam Pikelny, and receive actual advice on your playing through video exchanges.

This cat would really like to give you a piano lesson.

Sleep-Streaming

This idea was shared by Facebook user Andy Kipp.

Andy says, “I’m a big fan of live music and now that we are without, there is a way to help the smaller bands that support themselves with touring. When I go to bed I pick a band and stream their music all night while I sleep. This way they will be getting something while they are unable to tour and play shows.”

Every little bit helps!  #sleepstreaming

Write for Festy GoNuts!

We’re always looking for writers, and you probably have some extra time on your hands right now.  Maybe it’s time to get back into writing.

No need to be Cameron Crowe, but why not give it a go?  

There aren’t really any events to cover right now, but we can still support artists with other coverage.  How about an album review or an interview? Or introduce us to a new artist with an Artist Spotlight piece.

Check out some Festy GoNuts Interviews and Reviews

If you are feeling the inspiration, send us something and we’ll check it out!

Don’t Forget About Music Festivals!

Most music festivals are in the same boat as the artists who grace their stages.  Putting on a music festival is no easy endeavor.

Many of our favorite music festivals are special to us because they remain relatively small.  This means that profit margins are extremely tight, and some may struggle to break even, if they do at all. 

You can pretty much apply all of the above recommendations to your favorite festivals. 

Maybe it’s time to buy a poster from your favorite small fest that recently had to cancel this year’s party!

Support Festy GoNuts!

Desperate times, right?

Seriously, though, many of you may not know about the ‘behind the scenes’ of Festy GoNuts.

Festy GoNuts is run entirely by Jason and Kelly Law, and is very much a labor of love.  Sure, we get to see amazing music and go to wonderful festivals, but it doesn’t exactly pay the bills.

For our ‘day jobs’, we run a marketing company, GoNuts Marketing. Many of our clients are in the hospitality or entertainment industries – including several restaurants and musicians.

Needless to say, work is in short supply at the moment. (Need marketing assistance? Let us know!)

We, along with everyone else, are reaching out to our community for support.

We would love to continue to bring the music coverage and news that the Festy GoNuts audience has come to expect.

We hope that in sharing stories, news and events, we are making a positive impact on the music community, and helping others in need.

By supporting Festy GoNuts, you are, in effect, supporting the artists and festivals that we all love so dearly!

Thank you for supporting Festy GoNuts!

Music brings us together…

That’s the beauty.  We’ve written about the bond that music affords us.  Its strength is even more evident during this crisis.

We are confident we will all get through this, and come out on the other side stronger, and more resilient, and hopefully more grateful and appreciative of everything we are lucky enough to have.

We live in a beautiful world, and music makes it even more so. 

Let’s do everything we can to ensure that those responsible for bringing this beauty into our lives have the support they need to continue to fill our world with joy!