In New Orleans, music is the rhythm by which we live our lives. From the buskers making us dance through the French Quarter to the school bands practicing in our streets, there's always a melody or a beat to move us forward, bring a smile to our faces and get us through the day.
Like other cities
across the globe, our state and local governments have taken action
to slow the spread, or "flatten the curve," of COVID-19 by
shutting down bars, restaurants (take-out and delivery only), and
entertainment venues. Our huge festival season that was just getting
started has been postponed or canceled altogether 'til next year, and
even after only one week of social distancing, we're sorely feeling
the lack.
Enter Travis
Laurendine, Nicki Gilbert and Reid Martin, three locals who have
launched Sofa King Fest, "an emergency response online music and
arts festival and directory aimed to minimize your COVID-19
quarantine boredom." Essentially, it's an online platform to raise
money for artists and other folks in the industry who have been
affected by the pandemic. Sofa King Fest is live-streaming intimate
performances by artists who, like all of us, are also stuck at home.
Dubbed "your
one-stop source for all your couch-streaming concert options," this
virtual venue is offering a "main stage" experience featuring
artists across genres including a live music festival grid (I didn't
say cube, did you say cube?) showcasing streaming sets from all over
the world. All of the proceeds raised through Sofa King Fest will go
directly to the artists, or the charity of their choosing.
Visit
Sofa-King-Fest.com for more information, to donate or participate, or
... grab a cold one from the fridge, kick back and enjoy.
