YouTube: Your virtual concert venue
Aug 03, 2020 – [[read-time]] minute read
We’ve all been missing out on so many of our favorite experiences these past few months, from a meal with friends to a Friday night movie. But for those missing that rush you get from hearing a band play your favorite song live, YouTube is here to make your day. A growing number of artists have been using YouTube as a virtual concert venue, connecting with fans and delivering a dizzying catalogue of music.
There’s something for everyone, from rock and hip hop to reggae and country. Here’s just a small selection of what we’ve seen on the platform:
From their living room to yours
Artists are going all out to give their fans the most intimate performances they can. Check out the Rolling Stones performing one of their classics, or Chris Martin, Dua Lipa, the Foo Fighters and others teaming up to sing one of the Foos’ signature hits.
Classic concerts, new audiences
If you’re looking for deep cuts, look no further. On YouTube, bands have been uploading rare concert footage never seen by their fans. Radiohead fans can rewatch legendary shows from past tours as much as they want. And some groups like Metallica have even compiled an extensive concert series, as seen through their #MetallicaMondays.
YouTube-a-Palooza
Coachella: 20 Years in the Desert
Official Lollapalooza YouTube Channel
Music festivals have found a virtual home on YouTube as well. Fans of the Chicago-based festival Lollapalooza were recently treated to the four-day “Lolla2020” festival, which streamed exclusively on YouTube. And after Coachella cancelled this spring, YouTube Originals premiered the documentary Coachella: 20 Years in the Desert in April. There’s even more on YouTube Music, from“Watch at Home: Concerts and Music Festivals” to the YouTube music page, which has a content shelf featuring fan-favorite festivals and concert performances, both new and archival.
A virtual reality
Every day, more and more artists are live streaming from home studios or uploading their archival footage. So enjoy watching Radiohead perform “Paranoid Android” in Dublin nearly two decades ago. You deserve your own private concert in 2020.
Ongoing weekly concert series:
On March 23rd, Metallica began premiering previously unreleased full live shows from the archives, now known at “#Metallica Mondays.”
Every Monday at 5 PM ET, The National are sharing content from their vault, promising classic live sets or rarely seen footage to help pass the time at home.
Dubbed the “Shakedown Stream” series, the Grateful Dead have been releasing a series of six concert films since April 10th.
A six-week recurring series from Elton John that started on July 3, with new concerts available every Saturday at 12 PM ET.
