When COVID-19 hits, local musicians play on. Here’s how to tune in and show support
It’s a dramatic scene in a 1990s box office hit that brings a true historical moment to life: As the Titanic is sinking, the band plays on through the chaos.
While the 2020 coronavirus pandemic is a different kind of tragedy than that 1912 disaster, both go to show music’s power as a calming and soothing universal language during a crisis.
The devastating respiratory illness known as COVID-19 has stripped away employment for many Americans and dealt a major blow to the service industry. The ripple effects have impacted local musicians, but it hasn’t managed to take their breath away.
Artists of the Bradenton and Sarasota music scenes are playing on, finding alternative outlets now that scheduled shows at restaurants, bars or private parties are wiped out for the foreseeable future.
How to see and support local musicians
Cowork space Connect Bradenton is offering one replacement for live shows. Every Thursday at 4:30 p.m., Connect Bradenton sponsors a livestreamed concert spotlighting a different local musician.
In turn, that musician’s Venmo, Cash App or other payment info is provided as a way for community members tuning in to tip virtually.
Undine Shorey, who works part-time at Connect Bradenton, plays the electric violin and guitar and is a vocalist. She’s already performed one of the live streamed concerts.
“The whole thing is just totally different,” Shorey said. “You don’t see the audience in front of you. I, personally, couldn’t see who was watching or not. During certain parts of the concert, I would ask, ‘If you’re out there, who’s out there check in and say hello.’ I got several comments saying that they were watching, they were really enjoying it.”
In March, Shorey said she had eight or nine shows lost, while 11 gigs were canceled in April. It’s an average of $1,000-$1,500 in lost income.
“We were right around the time in season where things were really kicking in gear,” Shorey said. “There was a lot of private events, restaurants were really booming, they were really asking for live music. So a lot of us started off 2020 with a lot of shows booked, far out even. Even into the summertime, so it was definitely an unexpected situation when our gigs were completely taken away. And it happened within days ... so that brings a lot of anxiety and uncertainty when you don’t know when you’ll be booked again.”
With more time at home, Shorey found an old voice recorder from several years ago filled with ideas for songs.
Now Shorey, who describes her style as an acoustic R&B with a jazzy and chill vibe, can finish those as well as tacke other side projects.
Follow Undine Shorey at: facebook.com/undineshoreymusic.
Eric von Hahmann, a.k.a. Eric Von, is a country musician originally from Cortez. He usually splits his time gigging between the Bradenton area and Orlando. Now he’s stuck at home in Orange County.
“I would consider this a catastrophe,” Von said. “But I always look for the positive in things.”
Von says that having a large Facebook following has come in handy in all new ways.
“I’ve been really blessed,” Von said of his followers. “I had about 7,500 fans on Facebook, and I just figured I’d give them something. When all of this hit, it was the only answer I had as far as reaching out to my fans.”
Von’s livestreamed shows have garnered thousands of views and reactions on social media. He makes them interactive by taking requests for crowd favorites — from “It’s Five O’ Clock Somewhere” and “Tennessee Whiskey” to his own original music.
With all of his newfound downtime, Von has been staying up late into the night to work on a new passion project: sound effects.
“I love audio — all forms of audio,” Von said.
The musician recalls getting lost in the ambient noises of the New York City subway for hours and finding beauty in a plethora of sounds, from crickets and frogs chirping to glass smashing.
Sound effects can also be lucrative, and Von plans on turning the hobby into a new business venture.
“It’s something new and exciting,” Von said. “I have literally been running around my house for the last two weeks recording everything.”
Von said he hopes that others can find something hopeful or humorous to hold on to throughout the pandemic as well.
“I think the big thing we all have to remember is to be positive and look towards the future. To just say: we’ve got to get through it, we’re all in together,” Von said. “At the moment, man, everybody’s in it. And the more positive people we have the better.”
Follow Eric Von at: facebook.com/ericvonfans.
Tune in
Connect Bradenton’s second livestream concert at 4:30 p.m. Thursday will feature Sarasota-based singer-songwriter Sara Nelms.
Music promoters are also finding a way to pitch in to the effort of keeping local musicians busy. GoTonight, a service that lists live music throughout the west-central coast of Florida, has a new section on its website for local music streaming events at gotonight.com/streaming.
And there are plenty more local musicians to watch and support in the virtual venue that has sprung up overnight on the internet. Most are accepting donations to keep the music going.
Here are some other local favorites who are keeping us entertained online:
Ari and the Alibis: Members of this five-part jazz-funk-soul fusion band have kept the beat going online with fun live music sessions.
Follow at: facebook.com/ariandthealibis.
Steve Arvey: The music of local blues performer Steve Arvey is a soulful respite in dark times, and his wicked licks on the cigar box guitar are something else entirely.
Follow at: https://www.youtube.com/SteveArvey.
The Divebombers: Rockabilly trio The Divebombers were scheduled to play the first show of Realize Bradenton’s annual spring “Music in the Park” concert series that was canceled before it ever got started. That hasn’t stopped the band from sharing new music and live tunes online.
Follow at: facebook.com/DivebombersBand.
DØVYDAS: Dovydas Mascinskas is a local progressive blues musician whose talent has drawn a massive YouTube following. No stranger to reaching an online audience, Dovysas is offering daily “quarantine concerts” full of improvised material for subscribers to his YouTube channel.
Follow at: youtube.com/dovydasmusic.
Renesito Avich: “One man Cuban band” Renesito Avich invites you to hear his songs come to life one piece at a time. Using a loop pedal, Avich works his skills on multiple instruments and vocals into seamless numbers that will definitely tempt you to dance.
Follow at: facebook.com/renesito.avich.
This story was originally published April 9, 2020 at 10:14 AM.
