Matt Zimbel's Take On 'Live From the Living Room'

By Matt Zimbel

There’s a phrase being slung around a lot these days… “creative solutions”.  As artists, we’re all pretty familiar with this phrase.  Before the pandemic, it was usually bandied about when a company contracted you to do something but didn’t want to spend the money to do it right.

“Well”, they’d say pompously, “you’re an artist, you’re just going to have to figure out some creative solutions."

Many of my artist friends are finding “creative solutions” for the pandemic. Usually, this entails doing a Zoom concert from home, by themselves.

Generally these events are poorly lit, poorly shot, and have questionable sound.  Make-up and hair are, well, let’s just say it’s aspirational. And of course, the silent gulf of no applause after each song is as excruciating for the viewer as it is for the artist. But the storytelling is often good, seeing the décor in the artist's home is fun, and the kindness of the outreach is touching.  As it will be for oh, I don’t know, another five weeks or so until we are all so utterly done with “Live from the Living Room.”

Seems Canadian country Star Brett Kissel has found a pandemic “creative solution” and sold out six shows in a Casino parking lot outside of Edmonton. The traditional rock concert raising of the lighter will be replaced with a swift volley of the windshield wipers. Ushers are being retrained as parking lot attendants and the VIP section will feature a truck wash and oil change during the show, all socially distanced of course.

Vrooooooom!