The Live Music Experience During COVID-19

By Lauren Elizabeth Campbell, Editor-in-Chief

With the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines currently being distributed across the country, the end of COVID-19 feels near. However, until it is safe to once again gather in crowded bars, arenas, and stadiums to enjoy music live, live albums are the only way for music fans to enjoy the sonic experience of live music.

For the full live concert experience, prepare to listen to your live album the way you would get ready to attend an actual concert. You must not listen to your concert at home. But because of COVID-19, and social distancing, you must not listen to it in a crowded location either. The perfect live concert listening destination is a desert or open field, away from others, where music can be played loudly without disrupting others. If that is not possible without traveling a great distance, Manhattan for example, head to a spacious park.

After you choose your location, pick a day and time to attend your show. Sure you could listen to your concert anytime you want, but picking a time for your concert turns it into an event. It gives you something to look forward to. Be sure to check the weather and other events on your calendar, as this may be the only situation where you alone can control a concert date.

After picking a day and time, choose which live concert you plan to listen to, or which recorded concert if you have video capabilities, such as a wireless projector and screen. You could choose your favorite artist, or someone you ’ ve never heard of before. You could also choose a show that you ’ ve been to, to relive that experience, or a concert you didn’t have the chance to attend.

Whether you plan to hold your concert alone or with your quarantine people, be sure to treat it the way you would a “ normal” show. Dress up, buy yourself a fancy preshow dinner, do any technique you normally would to enhance your experience, and take pictures to hype yourself up on social media.

If it is possible to play your music aloud, bring your charged portable speaker, I recommend the UE Boom, and turn the volume all the way up, the way it would be at a show. If you cannot play it aloud without disturbing others, bring a good pair of headphones, I recommend the Sony WH1000XM4. If you are using headphones with multiple people and do not have a Bluetooth splitter, start the concert on multiple devices simultaneously.

Once you start the concert, do not stop or skip songs, the same way you couldn't at an actual show. By not skipping, you may discover a song that becomes your favorite.

You could even wait in line to use the restroom, spill your drink all over yourself, pretend you're standing behind a tall person, lie on your back like you're crowd surfing, and have to sit in your car for an hour after the show before you start heading home.

One day, live concerts will be back for us to enjoy, but until then, we have live albums.