East Tennessee has some of the best local musicians and local venues to hear live music. Unfortunately, with the COVID-19 outbreak, we have seen many venues shut down as well as cancel or postpone local artist (and national artist) shows.
Many of our listeners know that I play music all over East Tennessee, and beyond, and I have seen how this virus and “flattening the curve” has impacted my life, as well as our family of musicians’ lives. If you come to our live shows, know we are thinking about you, and we want to get back to doing live shows as soon as it is safe.
With the cancellation of shows comes impact on others that live music supports. Not only does this affect the musicians (local and national) but also the servers, bartenders, managers, bussers, and even the sound crew who run the show.
During this difficult time, I have seen local artists band together and start performing online to hopefully gain some tips through online tipping. If you see this and can contribute, that is a great way to support local musicians of all kinds. Playing some live music online, on Facebook, or Instagram is also a great way to give you some local entertainment and you see national artists doing it, but you can check out some East Tennessee artists doing this as well. It’s a great way to be entertained and give back to them if you feel like it and are fortunate enough to give. Go to local the Facebook and Instagram pages for local artists and give them a like! They will love you for it.
What a great thing technology can be at times like this. During this time of crisis, I ask each and every one of you to still support local music as much as possible online! When they are live streaming, click and watch. Tip if you can. Even if it’s just a dollar, or ten, it helps them tremendously!
We will get through this and rise even higher! And when this is all over, go to local businesses & venues and support them! They will need it. Hearing live music is a privilege most people today don’t realize. Think about the rich history local artists have given the world right here from East Tennessee. Let’s utilize today’s technology and support those coming up locally now.
And join me on the radio if you want to hang out with someone who loves country music. I’ve got your back!
