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 of music from scores of nationally touring acts including progressive bluegrass outfit The Infamous Strindgusters, who performed a remote rendition of guitarist Andy Falco‘s “Sentenced to Life With the Blues”. Recorded from quarantines across the country, the performance gives off that familiar, toe-tapping Stringdusters vibe as if they were all sharing the stage together once again. The improvisational breaks from Falco, Andy Hall, and Chris Pandolfi further bolster that feeling of a real, live set. Falco, who put the video together, noted to Live For Live Music that that long-lost feeling of a live show is exactly what the group was trying to achieve:
We wanted to have a song that felt live, although all the parts had to be played separately from our homes. Since I started the track here on Long Island, I played and sang my song “Sentenced To Life With The Blues” all the way through having to imagine the rest of the band playing along. I uploaded the track to Dropbox and one by one the other guys added their parts and uploaded back to Dropbox… Everybody made a video of themselves recording their part, and I edited them together on an iPad video editing app I have. I synced up the mixed audio and that was that. I was actually surprised how much it ended up feeling like the real thing, but I suppose playing a million shows together helps with that. The idea was to keep the production simple, let the music be the focal point. I was pleased with how it came out, and we were stoked to be a part of the virtual festival.
Related: Natalie Cressman & Ian Faquini Perform Bilingual Set For Quarantine Comes Alive [Watch]
If you enjoyed the performance, the band asks that you make a donation to the NAACP. Watch The Infamous Stringdusters perform “Sentenced to Life With the Blues” for Quarantine Comes Alive below:
The Infamous Stringdusters — “Sentenced to Life With the Blues”
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.