One of the greatest and simplest joys in life is listening to live music. Nothing beats rubbing shoulders with a crowd of strangers who are all squished together in the same room for the same reason: to watch their favorite musicians perform. As odd as it may sound, I truly feel most at peace when I’m at a concert. While struggling to secure my spot and occasionally getting smacked in the face by an elbow or two aren’t always the most pleasant experiences, I wouldn’t have it any other way. The atmosphere of a crowded venue buzzing with the chatter of people talking between acts is a sound I am desperately craving at this point in quarantine. I miss the way everyone moves in a collective wave towards the stage when the main act walks on. And the way everyone’s hands bounce up and down during the quick-paced songs since there’s no room for any other kind of dance. And how at the very end of the show, one of the techs peels a piece of paper off the stage floor, waves it in the air, and blindly throws it out to the writhing hands below itching to snatch the sacred set-list.
Who would have imagined that all of these experiences would soon become distant memories? With all concert venues shut down, this is a dark time for lovers of live music. All of us probably poured one out for each refunded ticket email that slowly trickled into our inboxes. Who knows when artists will be able to reschedule? Will they even decide to go on tour after this is over? Will live music be changed forever?
These are tough questions to be asking, but fortunately, some musicians have stepped up to bring their music to us however they can. A band from my hometown in L.A. called Sure Sure decided to host a live Home Home Tour from––you guessed it––various rooms in their house. The four bandmates share a place in Koreatown and decided to put together a five-date, live-streamed tour. Each night would have a different set, so anyone attending all five nights would be able to tune into something new. Plus, a portion of the proceeds from the shows and merch is being donated to two amazing local charities, LA Food Bank and Lunch On Me.
My friends and I were introduced to Sure Sure back when they were the opening act for one of our favorite bands, Hippo Campus. Since then, they’ve been on the rise in the alt-music scene, opening for acts like Young the Giant and COIN. I saw them two other times while on their first solo tour in Boston and L.A., and both shows were incredible. The Home Home Tour was no less entertaining and also such an innovative way to give back to the community.
From the comfort of my room, I tuned into the last show of the tour which was streamed from Mike’s bedroom. I Zoomed my friends at the same time as the show so we could all dance along at the same time. I couldn’t stop smiling as I watched all the members of Sure Sure jam out with so much energy even though there was no crowd to cheer them on. Fortunately, there was a very lively comment section where the audience members tuning in could type in their claps and share their encouragement through “woooos” and “ahhhhhs.” It was pretty adorable and definitely added a wholesome component to the experience.
This week’s playlist includes some of the songs Sure Sure played during their show as well as a few other bops from other artists I can distinctly remember seeing live. I have been fortunate enough to see some of my favorite musicians ever perform right before my eyes and I have countless videos of the most memorable shows that I watch anytime I want to immerse myself in nostalgia. Some of my favorite concerts were technically at festivals, but I have a soft spot in my heart for tiny venues. The Who, Cage the Elephant, Gorillaz, Lana del Rey, The Internet, Childish Gambino, Mac DeMarco, Anderson Paak, Omar Apollo, Snoh Aalegra, and The Lemon Twigs are the ones that immediately come to mind when I think of the greatest shows I’ve seen. Maybe one day I’ll make a master playlist of every artist I have seen (including openers), but for now, enjoy this mini edition.
While it may be a long while until we can all enjoy live music again, it brings me joy to see that artists are willing to keep playing the music we know and love during a time when we could all really use some of their mood-boosting tunes.
xoxo,
Emma
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