On April 3rd Midwest Music Foundation kicked off its Spring Donation Drive with a live concert on the Record Bar stage. The event marked a call for donations to allow the non-profit to continue providing medical assistance for area musicians and music industry workers, and particularly to refill the foundation's Emergency COVID-19 Relief Fund that provides grants to musicians faced with emergency financial loss due to employment suspension because of COVID-19.

The event was streamed live via Facebook and YouTube utilizing the Record Bar's professional sound system and an impressive array of cameras that provided the virtual audience with multiple vantage points throughout the three-hour concert. Although the club was closed to the public, I did slip in, dodged the cameras, and took a few photographs to document the event. You'll see that I had to get creative with a few angles to avoid becoming the star of the show. Of course I didn't need to capture any video, as the livestream was recorded and is now available for viewing below. No recap this time — frankly it's just too depressing to write about bands playing on stages to empty rooms. Please get vaccinated so we can all get back into the clubs.

I hope you enjoy the stream, and I ask that you donate to the Midwest Music Foundation if you're able. As you'll hear from Executive Director Rhonda Lyne and nearly every artist that performed, the foundation provides a safety net that allows musicians to do the work we love.