How Vancouver’s Rickshaw Theatre is continuing to keep live music alive during the COVID-19 pandemic
With the impact of the coronavirus pandemic forcing live music venues across the world to close their doors, some forever, the music industry has been forced to adapt in order to keep music fans engaged and entertained.
At the Rickshaw Theatre our job before the pandemic put a halt on operations was to give live music fans a place to gather, to see their favourite bands, and fully engross themselves in the whole experience. The closest thing to social distancing before COVID was attempting to position yourself in a crowd behind someone who was not taller than you!
The last five months have been dire for the music industry, and things do not appear to be looking up anytime soon. As the days ticked on it became clear that instead of bringing fans out to see live music, we would have to find ways to bring live music to the fans.
Live streaming is not an entirely new concept to the music industry, however before COVID they were few and far between, nowadays they are becoming ubiquitous. A few months ago the concept of live streaming was unfamiliar territory for us as a venue, but after our first live stream at the end of June with Wrecked Beach and Oswald proved successful we have been working hard behind the scenes on producing more streaming events. Over the next few weeks we have free, and by donation, streams from Buckman Coe and Khari McCelland, as well as Neck of the Woods.
Whilst they offer a different experience from attending a show in person, they are the closest we are able to offer right now and they have enabled us to start getting excited about live music again. Now that smaller gatherings are allowed, the idea of having a couple of friends over and making an evening out of watching a live stream doesn’t seem bad at all.
Here’s what we have coming up at the Rickshaw:
Buckman Coe & Khari McClelland live stream performance at the Rickshaw with guests, The Spiritual Warriors
Friday September 11 at 7pm
Enjoy an evening of soul, roots and reggae sounds streamed from the Rickshaw with Buckman Coe, Khari McClelland, and guests, The Spiritual Warriors.
The stream will be free to watch but if you can, please support by donating. By making a donation, you are supporting the BC music industry sector’s recovery. All funds raised will go directly back into the music community with 30% going to Music Heals, 30% to Unison Benevolent Fund and 40% to SoundON’s Resiliency Fund which will be used to produce more shows and provide direct funding to presenters, artists, crew, production and venues.
Facebook event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/344887939868574/
Live Stream Link: https://www.facebook.com/RickshawTheatre/live/
Neck of the Woods Live Stream Performance from The Rickshaw
Friday September 18th
Formed in early 2014, Neck of the Woods’ exhilarating brand of progressive metal and charged live shows have quickly earned them a reputation as one of the most exciting acts to emerge from Vancouver’s metal scene. Join them as they return to the Rickshaw stage for an exclusive virtual concert streaming through Facebook Live.
Facebook event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/1597282443766748/
Live Stream Link: https://www.facebook.com/RickshawTheatre/live/
Neck of the Woods are also running a contest to win a chance to watch the recording of the live stream with a friend.
Contest info: https://www.facebook.com/neckofthewoodsband/posts/4072064196197601
