On Saturday, I played my first e-gig. All performers were given the stream key to a single account on Twitch.tv, which served as the “venue.” The chat was open, and the “audience” used it as a substitute for cheering on the various performers.
The role of working musicians is being widely reconsidered in the era of COVID-19. There are no live performances at traditional venues anymore, leaving many freelance performers out of work entirely with nothing to fall back on. Musicians have responded to these changes by making things work remotely: e-gigs give artists an opportunity to leave out a virtual tip jar, as well as promote their music for when the quarantine ends. These trends are also reflected in performances elsewhere, such as artists featured on late night talk shows playing from the comfort of their homes. The advantages to e-performances like this one are likely to carry on, even after the quarantine ends. Seeing the future development of live shows past this point will be interesting, but I am fortunate to have been a part of this one.
