Emerald gems rest on her eyelids, and streaks of green dance in her hair. She could have been among the millions at Coachella this month, but Coachella took a raincheck.
As festival goers mourn the potential memories made, DJs and artists take this opportunity to perform for virtual audiences.
It felt a little strange at first. You tune in to a YouTube livestream, and watch as one of your favorite artists plucks away at guitar strings in a rolling chair – and not a sold-out stadium. On the opposite end of the spectrum are EDM DJs remixing from their couch, with mesmerizing mandalas projected onto the wall behind them.
Lamp shades, strobe lights and DJ booths have never been more desirable. We have Derrick Jones to thank for the new age of virtual DJs. Derrick Jones, also known as DJ-Nice, proved this in March while giving shout outs to medical workers, telling viewers to “wash your hands.” Over 150,000 people hopped on his Instagram Live story for Club Quarantine. His hourly online DJ sets have drawn female idols like Michelle Obama, Rihanna, Ava Duvernay and Alicia Keys. Each viewer who joins in, despite status or race, shows how music truly transcends across the masses.
“Sitting at home during this quarantine, I started to feel empty,” Jones said to the New York Times. “There is nothing like playing the music and feeling the music.”
Social interactions drive human existence, said Dr. Brittany LeMonda, a senior neuropsychologist at Lenox Hill Hospital.
“We are social animals and that doesn’t just go away during a crisis,” she said to the New York Times. “If this becomes our new normal, we have to get creative with how we feel connectedness.”
Our social divide has also reduced the pressures of looking a certain way. For instance, when you go to a club, the bouncer judges your physical appearance before you can pay and get in. At Club Quarantine and other streamed shows, dancing alone has become the new normal. DJs have successfully brought the nightclub to your bedroom, with no fees and drinks included.
The adjust for me wasn’t easy. When I made the drive from my college town in Gainesville to Miami, Florida, I struggled with the inability to go out with my friends, especially clubbing. Miami is famous for its night scene, and my urge to go out was heightened. I feel like we crave the things we can’t have, and I miss the night scene as much as anyone would.
The resurgence of the nightclub scene online filled Nicole Castro, a Florida International University student, with joy and happiness. After finding a couple livestreams from Club Space, her boredom faded away.
“It’s life changing,” Castro said. “It fills my blood with music. You can feel the music pumping through your veins. I really get into it.”
Music acts as a freeing agent and allows us to escape the quarantine cages of our bodies and minds. While virtual entertainment doesn’t quite feel like a Coachella festival, DJs’ efforts bring the music we love to our beloved homes and have made single-person parties a recreational activity.
If you’re interested in the livestream lineup, check out Billboard’s website for a list of other artists and DJs performing.