Concerts in the Time of COVID-19

All Time Low revives us at an all-time low.

By: Shannon Brault

I waited months to sing along to the new music released by my favorite band as they performed in front of me, and when my favorite song came on, I took out my phone and started recording, because what else do you do at concerts? Before I posted it to my Snapchat story, I had to caption it: “Fourth time seeing All Time Low, but make it virtual.” It was then that I realized I was in my living room, singing along to the video on my TV screen. 

I thought I had seen it all on Zoom, but alas, I was then introduced to the world of virtual concerts. Like many musical artists and groups, All Time Low has taken to a virtual format to keep promoting their new music through a livestream concert series, and of course, I had to go.

Watching your favorite musical artists livestream a concert is not an experience that I thought I would be having on a Friday night, but if 2020 has taught me anything, it’s to expect the unexpected. Before their livestream, the four members of All Time Low and their crew were tested for COVID-19 and quarantined in a house together to make the experience as safe as possible. 

With their tour for “Wake Up, Sunshine,” their new album released in April, being pushed back due to COVID-19, they decided to do a livestream series with the first livestream being a playthrough of the album. They played the album through, one song after the next, with videos of them talking about the album in between. 

I’ve seen All Time Low live three times, and hearing them play over a computer screen was just as fun and high-energy as always, even without an audience. My dog even got to join in on the fun and dance around with me while I sang along to some of my favorite songs. How could you say no to an experience like that?

Of course, the experience was different than it would have been in person. I wasn’t able to feel the bass in my gut from the dangerously loud stereos. I wasn't pressed up against sweaty bodies on the floor of some dark venue. I didn't have the excitement of dressing up and being in the same room as my favorite band for the last 12 years, but again, I’ll take what I can get and in a time when safety should be everyone’s number one priority, I was impressed by how clever the idea was.

What made it all worth it and all too real was the energy from the moments that made it feel like a real concert. Alex Gaskarth singing “Wake Up, Sunshine” into the camera made me melt into the floor, and his little dance moves made my soul happy. 

I would do just about anything to see them again in person, but for now, I’m excited for the rest of the livestream series, where each member of the band gets to pick a setlist, and the members of the virtual audience get to play bingo based on the songs they play. All Time Low is my all-time favorite band, and I don’t know where I would be without their goofiness or their amazing music.