It’s fair to say that no industry has taken as hard a hit as the live events scene during the Covid-19 pandemic. When lockdowns started taking place across the globe last year, the future of the live events scene was bleak. There was no exit strategy, not enough government aid given to the small venues on the brink of closure, and tens of thousands of jobs at risk of layoffs.
Musicians started to take to Instagram Live to give fans a much needed relief from the tough reality that we were all living. But it wasn’t long before music lovers needed to experience the big production value that makes live events so special. One music publication and multifarious music brand, EDM Maniac, wasted no time on finding a solution for the electronic dance music community who were starved of the escapism and connectivity that live events bring them.
In March this year, EDM Maniac was announced as the very first music publication to have a residency with Insomniac TV, the legendary dance music culture brand. EDM Maniac and Insomniac announced a seven week residency, and every week they delivered an immersive virtual concert experience to give people a taste of the pre-rave experiences that music lovers were craving.
Live streams were produced with the most advanced technology on the virtual market that used green screens and custom built 3D stages, allowing ravers to experience EDM music in a new, Covid safe way. The initial residency featured sets from DJs like Dack Janiels, Wenzday, Hami, Letrique, Dubloadz, and Gawm. Due to the success of the residency, EDM Maniac now has an ongoing content partnership with Insomniac TV, producing new shows every week.
But everyone knows that nothing could truly recreate the electric energy of a real live music experience. This month, EDM Maniac took on the momentous task of hosting simultaneous, live, socially distanced events in two states. In San Antonio, Texas, EDM Maniac collaborated with Electric Fiesta to host the first ever Electric Cookout.
The mission of the debut was to “bring joy through the experience of live music and showcase the best of San Antonio food, music, and culture in one accessible, all ages event.” Not only did the event prove to be a huge boost for the local community, collaborating with local food and drink company SATXrated, but it was a chance to bring people together and celebrate the best that San Antonio has to offer. As well as following local Covid secure guidelines, there were optional Clear Health Passes that expedited entry and gave additional incentives.
Across the country, EDM Maniac was gearing up for a second event taking place just a few hours behind: DisDance. Partnered with Eclectic Events, DisDance was Central California’s first ever socially distanced pod rave. ‘Pods’ were 8 feet by 10 feet, sanctioned off six feet apart, and held up to five people. Despite the unconventional set up, acts including Boombox Cartel, Stuca, Gawm, and Floating Species put on electric sets, giving attendees a taste of normality.
Anyone who has experienced the EDM scene for themselves will know just how important events and real life connectivity are for people in the community. For those who rely on EDM events for their social and emotional wellbeing, it hasn’t been easy to go without.
But EDM Maniac is one of the key players who is continuing to innovate and adapt to keep the scene alive during its most challenging period ever. As things are slowly finding their way back to normality, we can be confident that the EDM scene will only come back bigger and better.
Find out more about EDM Maniac here.
Photo credit: photographer Matt Clausen
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