On Saturday, May 30th, over 70 artists and thousands of fans came together for Quarantine Comes Alive, a virtual music festival that raised over $160,000 for artists and a variety 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 Twiddle keyboardist Ryan Dempsey who performed one of the day’s most heartfelt sets to a special live audience: his pet duck, Bernie.
The set began with an at-once moving and amusing rendition of the wistful Titanic theme, “My Heart Will Go On”, as Dempsey gazed lovingly upon the feathered friend perched atop his grand piano. For the next tune, Bernie hopped off-camera to allow Dempsey to go to work on his original Twiddle instrumental, “Dinner Fork”, though the duck finally returned to his perch for Ryan’s final number, a heartfelt rendition of Leonard Cohen‘s “Hallelujah” (make sure you watch until the very end to catch Bernie’s big solo).
Related: Twiddle Announces Virtual “Roots Tour 2020”
As Dempsey explained about his Quarantine Comes Alive performance, “I am honored to have been involved in such an amazing musical event with so many talented musicians on the lineup. I’m so proud of L4LM for putting this together and donating to such an important cause. Together we can make a change! My duck, Bernie, also had a blast learning how to play piano and standing in as my muse, my flame, and my confidante.”
If you enjoyed the performance, Ryan asks that you make a donation to Equal Justice Initiative. Watch the full Ryan Dempsey/Bernie the duck Quarantine Comes Alive piano set:
Ryan Dempsey (Twiddle) – “My Heart Will Go On” (James Horner) > “Dinner Fork” > “Hallelujah” (Leonard Cohen) – Quarantine Comes Alive
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.