The Isolation Check-In: Live Streams and More From James Blake, the xx’s Romy, and More
With music fans responsibly self-isolating and social distancing and venues on lockdown, artists are finding creative ways to navigate the coronavirus outbreak and its profound impact on the entertainment industries. To help you keep track, Pitchfork is rounding up a daily slate of concert streams, digital gatherings, community support efforts, and other endeavors artists are undertaking to support everyone’s wellness. Check back to this page every day for new listings and recaps.
Sunday, April 19, 2020
Romy Madley Croft: The xx’s Romy Madley Croft will debut new songs and bring some news during an Instagram livestream starting at 1 p.m. Eastern.
Boys Noize: Every Sunday is Ambient Sunday on Boys Noize’s Twitch account. Tune in at 8 p.m. Eastern to check it out.
Pussy Riot: The Russian group are back with another installment of their very own Sunday Service, including dj sets and conversation. They’ll do two sets on Sunday via YouTube and Twitch at 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. Eastern.
Major Lazer: With sets from Apehouse and Diplo, Major Lazer will host A Very Lazer Sunday on YouTube, Instagram, and Twitch from 6 p.m. Eastern. Choose your service here.
TORRES: TORRES will perform a few songs from Union Stage, via the venue’s Instagram, from 2 p.m. Eastern, raising money from the venue’s staff. She has also temporarily shared her own payment details should fans wish to support her.
Monday, April 20, 2020
Dirty Projectors: Dave Longstreth will take to the Dirty Projectors YouTube channel for a guitar lesson at 12 p.m. Pacific/3 p.m. Eastern. He’ll be holding a tutorial on how to play songs from their new Windows Open EP.
James Blake: The producer/songwriter will hold a Q&A session for aspiring producers and music-makers on his Instagram account at 1 p.m. Pacific / 4 p.m. Eastern. He’s also promised to preview a new track.
Willie Nelson: To celebrate 4/20, Willie is hosting the “Come and Toke It” livestream variety show—a 4 hour and 20 minute special on Luck Reunion’s Twitch channel. Musicians, comedians, chefs, and weed experts are set to join the stream. It will, of course, begin at 4:20 p.m. Central time.
Tuesday, April 21, 2020
Liza Anne: Half Waif will guest on singer-songwriter Liza Anne’s new #EmotionalHealth 2020 rally series, set for 7 p.m. Eastern on Liza Anne’s Instagram. The two will chat mental health, creativity, and more.
Lorenzo Senni: Italian producer Lorenzi Senni and UK label Warp Records are teaming up to host a worldwide virtual chess meetup in anticipation of Senni’s forthcoming album Scacco Matto (Italian for “checkmate”). Fans can either play against Senni or a computer for a chance to win a limited run of merch and prizes.
Wednesday, April 22, 2020
Bethline: Best Coast’s Instagram live show returns at 4 p.m. PST/7 p.m. EST. Bethany Cosentino will be joined by Sleigh Bells’ Alexis Krauss for a discussion about social media. They will be taking email questions (askbethline@gmail.com) and on-air calls.
Earth Day 2020: The 50th anniversary of Earth Day will be celebrated with a three-day broadcast that begins April 22. Artists set to participate include Questlove, Talib Kweli, Angelique Kidjo, Soul Clap, Tim Heidecker, and more. RSVP to get more details here.
Waxahatchee: Waxahatchee’s Katie Crutchfield will be the latest guest on Pitchfork’s Instagram live series. Catch her set on our Instagram at 8 p.m. EST. Viewers will be able to support a charity of the artist’s chooisng, which in this case is MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund.
Thursday, April 23, 2020
Hip Hop Loves NY: Chuck D, Ice-T, De La Soul, Naughty By Nature, Ja Rule, and several other hip-hop heavyhitters will appear on the Hip Hop Loves NY stream, organized by the Universal Hip Hop Museum and Mass Appeal Records. It starts at 6 p.m. Eastern on the Mass Appeal YouTube page, raising money for the Bronx Community Relief Effort and SOMOS Community Care.
Sharon Van Etten: Sharon will chat and perform on Levi’s 5:01 Live series. Proceeds go to her band and crew. Tune in on Instagram at 5:01 p.m. Pacific.
Sudan Archives: Sudan Archives will perform songs from her debut LP Athena at 6 p.m. Eastern on Afropunk’s Instagram page.
Friday, April 24, 2020
Live From Our Living Rooms: Jeff Rosenstock, Kimya Dawson, Chris Gethard, Sol, Joyce Manor, and others are performing on the Live From Our Living Rooms benefit concert. All proceeds are going to the Vera Project’s DIY Community Relief Fund. It’s set to stream live on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter starting at 7 p.m. Check for updates here.
PlayOn Festival: Warner Music Group will kick off its virtual PlayOn Festival showcasing previously unavailable performance footage from artists including Cardi B, Green Day, Lil Uzi Vert, Bruno Mars, Death Cab for Cutie, and more. The fest begins streaming at 12 p.m. Eastern and will run all weekend on PlayOnFest.com and Songkick’s YouTube.
Room Service Music Festival: Andy King, whose claim to viral fame arrived in Netflix’s Fyre documentary, hosts this benefit for Sweet Relief and Feeding America. Channel Tres, A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie, Cautious Clay, and Mt. Joy are among those set to appear, and it starts on the Trap Nation and Chill Nation YouTube channels on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
(Sandy) Alex G: The Philadelphia songwriter will be performing live from Pitchfork’s Instagram at 6 p.m. EST.
Monday, April 13, 2020
Alexis Taylor: The Hot Chip singer will stream a live performance from La Blogotheque’s Instagram at 1 p.m. Eastern as part of the outlet’s Stay Away Show series.
The National: The group’s weekly “Exciting Communal Event” is back at 5 p.m. Join in and consider supporting the band’s tour crew.
Boys Noize: From 8 p.m. Eastern, the German producer (and cross-genre collaborator of Skrillex, Danny Brown, Chilly Gonzales, and others) is due to host his daily set, which can span from ambient sounds to improv and more, on Twitch.
Tuesday, April 14, 2020
Land of Talk: Land of Talk’s Elizabeth Powell will play a 2-song set live from the band’s Instagram 3 p.m. Eastern.
Torres: Via KEXP’s YouTube channel, Mackenzie Scott will be performing live from her home at 4 p.m. Pacific.
Wednesday, April 15, 2020
Jake Xerxes Fussell: The folk singer will stream a set on the Facebook and Instagram pages of Duke Performances from his home in Durham, North Carolina.
Merrill Garbus: The Tune-Yards leader will do a live broadcast from the Levi’s Instagram account as part of the clothing company’s 5:01 Live series of online shows. It begins at 8:01 p.m. Eastern.
Jazz at Lincoln Center 2020 Gala: Wynton Marsalis Dianne Reeves, Chucho Valdés, and more will perform remote sets for Jazz at Lincoln Center’s 2020 gala. The event, titled Worldwide Concert for Our Culture, premieres Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. Eastern on various digital platforms.
Thursday, April 16, 2020
Ben Gibbard: Ben is back with another installment of his Live From Home series. It kicks off at 7 p.m. Eastern.
Christine and the Queens: Christine is the (virtual) musical guest on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert this evening. Tune in at 11:35 p.m. Eastern on CBS.
Nicolás Jaar: The producer has announced a two-hour live-stream comprising “his own music and inspirations, mostly unreleased and edits from other songs.” It starts at 3 p.m. Eastern.
4:3 Online Film Festival: Boiler Room will live broadcast 13 films, including Stephen Nomura Schible’s documentary Ryuichi Sakamoto: Coda, and Phil Collins’ Mica Levi-scored anime Delete Beach. The festival runs until May 18.
Jamila Woods: Jamila Woods will appear on KCRW’s morning show “Morning Becomes Eclectic” with host Annie Litt. The show begins at 10:15 a.m.
Sound Mind: A Covid-19 Mental Health Benefit Concert: Artists include Dawes’ Taylor Goldsmith, Foy Vance, Dispatch frontman Chad Urmston, Langhorne Slim, Jade Bird, and Ballroom Thieves will perform live from 8-11 p.m. Eastern. Watch it on YouTube.
Friday, April 17, 2020
Charlotte Rose Benjamin: NYC singer-songwriter Charlotte Rose Benjamin will perform on Instagram Live at 3 p.m. Eastern.
Kath Bloom: The singer-songwriter will perform as part of a live stream hosted by Duke Coffeehouse on the venue’s Facebook and Instagram pages, following a few songs by Mount Moriah’s H.C. McEntire.
“Music Lives”: LiveXLive Media and TikTok are hosting a 48-hour livestream called “Music Lives,” as Billboard notes. Over 35 artists, including Swae Lee, Nas, Big Gigantic, Anitta, Trippie Redd, 10K.Caash, and Matoma, will participate in the event, which benefits the MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund. “Music Lives” runs from April 17–19.
Pink Floyd: Pink Floyd are releasing their 1995 concert film Pulse on their YouTube channel. The documentary will stream for free beginning Friday 12 p.m. Eastern.
Robyn: The Swedish singer’s Konichiwa TV: Club DOMO will be streaming live at 8 p.m. BST/9 p.m. CET. Watch it on Facebook, YouTube, or Twitch.
That Thing You Do: The original cast of 1996 film That Thing You Do will take part in a live watch party on Friday at 7 p.m. Eastern. The virtual event supports MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund, and can be viewed on YouTube.
Zola Jesus: Zola Jesus will appear on “The Age of Quarantine,” a new Q&A series hosted by the Brooklyn metal venue Saint Vitus. The event kicks off on Instagram Live on Friday at 8 p.m. Eastern.
Loraine James: From 6 p.m. Eastern, the London beatmaker will be airing a mixtape on BBC Radio 3’s “Late Junction.” Listen live (or wait until after broadcast for an archived copy) on the BBC.
Saturday, April 18, 2020
Bang Bang Con: In the wake of their postponed Map of the Soul world tour dates, BTS have arranged a live-watch marathon of BTS concert recordings from 2014 through 2017. The eight-part festival begins at 11 p.m. Eastern on Saturday, April 18 and returns at the same time on Sunday, April 19.
iheartcomix: iheartcomix is hosting a series of talks, interviews, and more, as well as a dj set with Frankie Chan. Tune in on Instagram or Twitch at 10 p.m. Eastern.
The Killers: The band will do a live performance and answer fan questions from Twitter on Instagram at 3 p.m. Eastern.
One World: Together at Home: This expansive concert to encourage people to stay home features several major names, including Lady Gaga, Paul McCartney, the Rolling Stones, Stevie Wonder, Billie Eilish, Lizzo, Kacey Musgraves, J Balvin, Burna Boy, and more. It starts at 8 p.m. Eastern, and the full lineup is here.
Verzuz: Swizz Beatz and Timbaland’s IG Live beat battle series returns, this time with Teddy Riley facing off against Babyface. Battle begins at 9 p.m. Eastern here.
Playlists
Carl Cox: The British house and techno producer has launched a new weekly updating playlist with the promise of “surprises” going forward. “I wanted to do this playlist to share all the amazing music I get on a daily basis and to really build strength in our community in these challenging times,” he said in a statement.
Drag City: The independent Chicago label made a “squeaky clean” playlist called “Disinfecting Wipes” in hopes of soothing fears and wiping the slate clean. It also made a two-hour playlist of tracks by the band Bitchin Bajas for yoga purposes.
Hamilton Leithauser: Leithauser is inviting fans to his “quarantine hell” and taking suggestions for his “out of tune guitars” playlist.
Jamie xx: Jamie’s new playlist “Played By Jamie xx” features songs he’s “been playing out and at home, new & old.” He encourages fans to support the artists in the playlists directly.
Kevin Drew: Broken Social Scene’s Kevin Drew has created the Calm Jams for the Times of Now playlist. The first edition features his favorite ambient works.
Light in the Attic Records: Reissue label Light in the Attic is crowdsourcing tunes for its new playlist Calm in the Attic: An Ambient Playlist for Stressful Times.
Matt Berninger: The National’s Matt Berninger has launched the Social Distancing Distortion playlist to help people “stay healthy, body and mind.”
Matty Healy: The 1975’s Matty Healy has a new isolation playlist, “At About 6-7,” kicking off with Arab Strap’s “The First Big Weekend” and featuring everyone from Frank Ocean and Radiohead to Les Rallizes Dénudés and Astrud Gilberto. He plans to keep the playlist up to date.
Neon Indian: A new Italo disco mix from Alan Palomo was made in an effort to raise money for COVID-19 relief in Syracuse, Italy. Donate here.
Phoebe Bridgers: The Stranger in the Alps singer-songwriter tipped her cap to Bhad Bhabie with a cheeky isolation playlist that plays on the phrase that made Danielle Bregoli famous.
The Prince Estate: A new fan-curated Prince playlist called “Prince ♡ Music Is Medicine” has arrived courtesy of his estate. “Prince once said, ‘Emotionally, I stay centered through music. It’s the best medicine in the world,’” the estate wrote in a statement. “In this moment of uncertainty, fans from around the world came together to help curate this career-spanning list of Prince’s most uplifting, healing, and feel-good songs.”
Rich Brian: Rich Brian made a self-isolation playlist for HYPEBEAST. It features Kendrick Lamar, JAY-Z, Childish Gambino, JPEGMAFIA, and more.
Steve Gunn: The guitarist and songwriter shared Inside Out, a playlist featuring music by Ennio Morricone, Psychic TV, Robert Wyatt, and more.
Turnover: The core members of Turnover are making a collaborative weekly playlist every Friday from their respective homes in California, Virginia, and Brooklyn.
100 gecs: The gecs join the playlist game. “ear potions,” the duo writes. “its music idk....”
This article was initially published on Monday, April 13 at 12:10 p.m. Eastern. It was last updated on Tuesday, April 21 at 10:17 a.m. Eastern.
Originally Appeared on Pitchfork
