Curbside Concerts brings live music to Vancouver side streets and driveways
The new service books local artists to perform outdoors at safe distances
Curbside Concerts started in Calgary in March 2020.
WE CANNOT WAIT for live concerts to come back. In the meantime, a new “live music-delivery service company” is helping fill the gap.
Curbside Concerts started in Calgary last March. It has gone on to set up in 11 cities across the country; now, it’s coming to Vancouver.
Founders Matt Masters (a veteran Alberta performer) and Amanda Burgener (who plays flute with the Calgary Wind Symphony) pivoted quickly following the initial lockdowns to find a solution for their fellow musician friends who were losing all their gigs and income and for music lovers who suddenly felt lost and wanted to support them.
“I was inspired by photographers safely taking telephoto photographs of families on their porches and so I decided to do a musical version of the same thing,” Masters said in a release. “I make my living in the clubs and if I can’t go to the club, I can’t work.”
How it works: Any Curbside Concert artist listed on the website can be booked to perform outdoors at the resident’s curbside, boulevard, or driveway at a distance of eight to 12 feet from the bubble audience, whether listeners are on their front step, porch, or apartment balcony. Musicians show up with a battery-powered speaker to perform a 45-minute set (or 30 minutes, if it’s below minus five degrees Celsius out).
Ndidi Onukwulu is among the Vancouver artists on the Curbside Concerts’ roster. Photo by Franco P. Tettamanti
“Curbside Concerts started as a result of COVID-19,” songwriter and senior producer Romi Mayes said. “We stay up-to-date daily with the ever-changing guidelines, as safety is our number one priority. We adhere to all restrictions and regulations by health officials in each province to ensure the hosts, their guests, and the artists all have a completely safe, positive, and meaningful experience.”
To date, the venture has more than 80 Canadian musicians on its roster.
In Vancouver, they include Ndidi Onukwulu, Nathan Barrett, Marylou Villegas, Mark Woodyard, Petunia (of Petunia and the Vipers), Justine Lynn, Paul Pigat, Sean Dillon, and Jenny Banai, among others.
Curbside Concerts is also offering programming across the country through its community activation plan to mount safe, live music experiences in specifically chosen locations like green spaces, working in conjunction with local associations, organizations, and political leaders.
More information is at Curbside Concerts.
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