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 fan-favorite Colorado jam quartet Magic Beans who performed a pair of original songs, “Handshake or Hug” and “Do Your Thing”, from guitarist Scott Hachey‘s rooftop in Denver, CO.
The nearly 15-minute performance kicked off with “Handshake or Hug” from the band’s 2019 album Off Leash. “Handshake or Hug” poses the dilemma of drawing a fine line between a casual relationship or something deeper, drawing comparisons to one being a handshake and the other a hug. Given the nature of events surrounding Quarantine Comes Alive, neither option seems totally safe at the current moment. Thankfully, we have the Beans.
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Before long, however, the band stepped away from the literal message of the song and instead explored the sonic territory built around the lyrics. After an initial, spacey guitar interlude from Hachey, keyboardist Casey Russell got free range to go to town on his Moog synthesizer. From the onset of the Beans’ QCA rooftop set, it was apparent that this is a windy day in the Mile High City—so much so that it blew the camera focusing on bassist Chris Duffy off balance. Like the consummate professionals they are, the band played on through the technical difficulty and launched into “Do Your Thing” off their 2018 sophomore album, Casino Cabaret. This slowed-down, baby-making groove found the band in no hurry as Russell took them around the block for a tight five-minute jam.
As Scott Hachey explained to Live For Live Music about the Magic Beans Quarantine Comes Alive set,
When we got together to record it was a super nice day so we decided to go up to my roof deck to record the song. As we got up there and started playing my neighbors started coming out and turned into an impromptu audience who cheered us on in between takes. We were stoked to be part of Quarantine Comes Alive and spend the day watching it and catching up virtually with everyone in our scene. Seeing how different artists filmed their sets gave an amazing snapshot into our community.
If you enjoyed the performance, Magic Beans encourage you to donate to Sharing and Caring Hands, a non-profit organization that provides hot meals, warm clothes, and other essential services to impoverished citizens of Minneapolis, MN. Watch the full Magic Beans Quarantine Comes Alive performance below.
Magic Beans — Quarantine Comes Alive — Full Set
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.