When the coronavirus closures first began to hit the live-music industry, we here at Reverb looked on as many of our favorite artists, friends, and peers had to cancel their tours or gigs.
One way we thought we could directly help was to offer our social media and YouTube channels for online performances: Artists can give virtual concerts to our online audience, make some money, and sell some merch—while we all get to enjoy a great set.
Thus, our Gig From Home series was born. So far, we've been treated to performances from Ryley Walker, NNAMDÏ, Sierra Hull, Fee Lion, Lovesick Duo, Bloom Twins, Suzi Analogue, Celisse, Turtle Bugg, Marcus Gilmore, Angelica Garcia, Tasha, Rob Ickes & Trey Hensley, and Brandy Zdan.
Starting in March and continuing through late July, fans could tune into Reverb's Facebook, Instagram, or YouTube channels to watch the latest Gig From Home. (Performances were simultaneously streamed on each platform.)
Check out all of our previous Gig From Home performances below.
Interested in livestreaming your own virtual gigs? See our guide for "How to Make Livestreams Sound Good: Easy Options for Better Sound Quality."
The latest in a line-up of incredible performers, Nashville rocker Brandy Zdan came through with her signature blend of gutsy guitar playing and powerhouse vocal work. For her Gig From Home appearance, Brandy joins us from her home studio with her trusty Gamble Guitar Works-built Telecaster and delivers stripped-down solo renditions of tracks from her latest album, Secretear— as well as a powerful, personal take on The Beatles' "Happiness is a Warm Gun."
A portion of the virtual tips Brandy received during the live show are being donated to the Planned Parenthood Action Fund in her adopted homestate of Tennessee.
We're honored to host a set by this pair of bona fide "super-pickers." For those who are unfamiliar with the stylings of Rob Ickes and Trey Hensley, you're in for a real treat. These Grammy-nominated gents put together a setlist of originals — many off their new album World Full of Blues— as well as some timeless classics for their Gig From Home appearance.
Watch the video for a glimpse of bluegrass greatness, featuring blistering solos and unlimited quick pickin' action.
Chicago-based activist, poet, and singer-songwriter Tasha has already made a big impact in the Windy City’s emerging musical landscape. Known for her contemplative lyrics and messages of strength, passion, and self-care, we were thrilled that she was able to join us and spread the word in this intimate Gig From Home performance.
In the video, Tasha plays solo renditions of a collection of songs from her 2018 album 'Alone At Last', as well as some newer tracks..
Singer-songwriter Angelica Garcia's unique background of country and ranchera music, jazz vocal training, as well as an obvious love for mixing things up with live sampling makes for a truly compelling melange of sonic flavor. So singular, in fact, that her song "Jícama" was included in former President Barack Obama's year-end list of favorite tracks in 2019 alongside idols like Bruce Springsteen and Beyoncé.
Angelica dedicated proceeds from her Gig From Home set to the Marsha P. Johnson Institute, an organization created to protect and defend the human rights of Black transgender people.
Marcus Gilmore has made a name for himself keeping the beat for the likes of Chick Corea, Steve Coleman, Ambrose Akinmusire, and many other notable names in the contemporary jazz world. The Brooklyn-based drummer descends from a line of incredible musicians—his grandfather is the legendary Roy Haynes—and he continues to push boundaries and redefine what it means to be a drummer by experimenting with fresh patterns and live sampling.
For his Gig From Home performance, Marcus's behind-the-kit talents are on full display for a spectacular jazz fusion set.
If you're in the mood for a DJ set with a powerful mix of funk, disco, reggae, and jazz deep cuts, you are sure to dig Detroit vinyl DJ Turtle Bugg's Gig From Home appearance. In addition to his own endeavors, Turtle Bugg is a fixture at Sublimate-sponsored sessions, the creative director of Smangtasia, and runs his own label, Basement Floor.
Let Turtle Bugg take you for a spin in the video above.
The singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist has an incredible range. You may recognize her as the guitarist for Lizzo (with Celisse's prominent use of an SG Custom leading us to write "The Resurgence of the Sister Rosetta Tharpe SG Custom"). But the multi-faceted performer has been on stages for everything from Broadway musicals to Trey Anastasio side projects.
While Celisse plays drums, violin, and a host of other instruments, in her Gig From Home performance, she traded off between incredible guitar work and piano balladry.
Synesthesia is a fascinating condition that allows some people who experience it to "see" sounds. Suzi Analogue is one such person, and in her gig, she pays homage to this unique attribute through a soul-infused synth jam.
Surrounded by an installation by visual artist Haiiiileen, check out Suzi's performance to experience a feast of sound and vision.
If you're into lush harmonies and moody synths, look no further than the Ukrainian-born/London-based "dark pop" duo of Anna and Sofia Kuprienko, a.k.a. Bloom Twins.
Watch the video above, enjoy the music, and marvel at the incredible mirror-and-light show they created.
When you think of the music of Bologna, Italy, you may not expect country & western and early American roots rock, but that's exactly what Bologna's Lovesick Duo delivers.
Catch their twangy, rollicking Gig From Home set.
For her Gig From Home, Fee Lion didn't want to perform from the now-standard "artist in living room" livestream stage. Instead, she transformed her room with eerie visualizations that perfectly suit her dark electro pop.
Triggering sounds from an SP-404SX, she played tracks from her releases like /// 2, Blood Sisters, and more.
Like Marty Stuart or Ricky Skaggs before here, Sierra Hull was a mandolin prodigy at an early age, growing up on bluegrass stages. While still in her twenties, at this point, she's a seasoned veteran. For her Gig From Home, she showed off her range by playing her brand-new album, 25 Trips, in full, with a collection of instruments.
For more from Sierra, check out a series of mandolin videos she made with us covering: warm-up exercises; how to split-tune a mandolin; the differences between acoustic, electric, and octave mandolins; and how she developed her personal style.
NNAMDÏ is a genre-blending shape-shifter, a multi-instrumentalist that can play slinky emo guitar riffs and produce high-energy indie pop in equal measure. His Gig From Home performance arrived just days after his latest album, BRAT, was released—so he plays some fiery renditions of brand-new songs in addition to solo performances of older jams.
Learn more about the creation of BRAT in our interview with Nnamdi here.
Ryley Walker's fingerpicking stylings—influenced by the likes of Robbie Basho and John Martyn—can catch you off guard. With his delicate interplay and subtle mastery, he makes it look effortless. Then one moment and a flick of the wrist later, he's changed directions and opened up a new vista.
For more from Ryley, check out his 2016 tutorial video he made with us on stereo imaging for acoustic guitars—using multiple pickups and amps to create a wide stereo spread.