On Saturday, May 30th, over 70 artists and thousands of fans came together for Quarantine Comes Alive, a virtual music festival that raised over $150,000 for a litany of charities via the comprehensive PLUS1 COVID-19 Relief Fund.
The 15-hour live-stream marathon featured virtual performances and never-before-seen videos by an array of artists from around the world including BIG Something‘s Nick MacDaniels, who performed “Sundown Nomad” from the band’s 2018 The Otherside LP along with an optimistic solo take on Mac Miller‘s “Good News”.
As MacDaniels explains to Live For Live Music, “It was so great to be a part of this and really felt special coming together with our musical heroes to support this cause. My spirits were certainly lifted and I hope everyone else that watched felt the same. We truly have an incredible community of musicians working their magic in the world today and I was honored to be a small part of it.”
Accompanied by a drum machine, a backward-facing hat, and his left-handed guitar, MacDaniels’ informal rendition of “Sundown Nomad” followed by Mac Miller’s “Good News” from his 2020 posthumous Circles album made for a touching moment of melancholy at Quarantine Comes Alive (“Good news, good news, good news / That’s all they wanna hear / No, they don’t like it when I’m down / But when I’m flying, oh, it make ’em so uncomfortable / So different, what’s the difference”).
As MacDaniels explained about the two numbers, “I chose these 2 songs in particular because I think they resonate with what is happening in the world today. First our song ‘Sundown Nomad’ is about someone making it through to the other side of a long difficult trip through a desert wasteland. And the Mac Miller cover ‘Good News’ is a song that really means a lot to me right now. At first listen, it really reminded me of our lyricist and my best friend Paul Interdonato who passed away from an overdose several years ago. But now I think it also takes on a whole new meaning with the current state of the world so that’s why I wanted to share it with everyone. Hope you enjoy. Much love and light to everyone out there listening!”
If you enjoyed the performance, Nick asks that you make a donation to Color of Change. Watch the guitarist’s two-song set from Quarantine Comes Alive below:
BIG Something’s Nick MacDaniels – “Sundown Nomad”/”Good News” – Quarantine Comes Alive
[Video: Live For Live Music]
Presented by Live For Live Music in partnership with PLUS1 and Nugs.TV, Quarantine Comes Alive was conceived as a way to celebrate and support musicians, provide fans with unique musical experiences from the comfort of their couches, and raise money for comprehensive COVID-19 relief during this time of uncertainty. All funds raised from the donation-based event will be split evenly between the artists on the bill and the PLUS1 COVID-19 Relief Fund, which works directly with leading non-profit organizations like Sweet Relief, MusiCares, Center for Disaster Philanthropy, World Central Kitchen, Partners In Health, Trans Lifeline, and Backline to provide aid where it’s needed most. For more information, head here.