If you're a fan of live music who goes to concerts a lot, you might be really missing that live music experience while you're staying at home. You can listen to the radio, you can play your own instruments and you can sing out your window with your neighbors, but there's nothing quite like seeing talented musicians live on stage in person. Luckily, several organizations are offering ways to watch concerts from your home.
For opera fans, The Metropolitan Opera in New York is offering a free nightly stream of one of their encore performances. Visit every night for a different performance from the Live in HD series. Wagner, Rossini and Verdi performances will be available soon, so check their schedule for your favorite.
Classical fans, you'll enjoy The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra's free online concert library featuring video and audio concerts with the music of Beethoven, Schumann, Bach and more.
Dreaming of sitting on the Millennium Park lawn enjoying a summertime concert? Check out the YouTube channel for Chicago's Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, which hosts videos of full concerts from recent years, including Tortoise and Ohmme, Jose Gonzales and Tall Heights and one of my personal favorites, Femi Kuti & The Positive Force and ProbCause.
PBS's Austin City Limits, the longest-running music series in American history, has episodes available to stream from home. Check out great performances from a diverse group of musicians and genres, including Norah Jones and Angel Olsen, Billie Eilish, Patty Griffin and The Revivalists, Buddy Guy and August Green, and Janelle Monae.
NPR's Tiny Desk Concert series, recorded in the offices of NPR, has many videos from a variety of musicians. Explore the archives for performances from Lizzo, Los Lobos, BJ The Chicago Kid and one of my favorites, Sesame Street!
As we all adjust to staying home, you'll likely see more of your favorite musicians take their concerts online, so be sure to check their websites and social media pages, as well as clearinghouses of home live streams like Social Distancing Presents, founded by Chicago journalist Mark Guarino. You can also look at your favorite band's website or YouTube channel for video archives.
Enjoy the show from home, and remember, if we all do our part and stay home, it won't be long until we can be together again! In the meantime, let us know in the comments what music you're enjoying.
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