Why We Should Look Local for New Music During Lockdown

Discovering new connections through music in the time of isolation

By Bri Maikranz

As college students across the country find themselves disconnected from the communities we’ve come to call home, many of us have turned to sharing art, music, and media as a way to touch base with our support networks. 

In the past, I’ve searched for community and connection in the local live music scene around campus. Attending live shows also helped me find new artists to support, which is especially crucial in these times. The number of upcoming gigs being postponed or canceled continues to rise, leaving performers struggling for income. Recently, Rolling Stone reported that over 800 independent venues across the country joined together to ask Congress for aid.

So how can we find new artists to support in this time of social distancing? 

If you’re looking to listen locally, one of my favorite ways to discover new artists is on the social media accounts and websites of local music venues. Venues with a more limited capacity, such as 7th Street Entry in downtown Minneapolis, are especially likely to book local artists who need support. Who would have been playing right now? Whose postponed show might I want to attend when it’s safe to gather in crowds again? 

Many individual artists have moved to live streaming digital concerts. Furthermore, visual art collections from museums such as the Minneapolis Institute of Art which feature local artists offer online viewing options. 

Online communities are increasingly important in maintaining the vibrancy of the local art and music scenes. While we struggle with the dreariness and uncertainty of social isolation, embracing the vivid emotion and imagination in these spaces helps us to boost our emotional wellbeing. Sharing local art virtually with friends is both a way to connect with each other and with the places and communities we’ve had to temporarily leave behind.