Jacob Chrystal steps on stage and takes the mic.
It鈥檚 the first time in the past year he鈥檚 been able to perform, under his stage name Unknown Persona, live in front of an audience.
And, while that audience may be filled with plastic caricatures of locals, pets and cartoon characters, he knows that behind the four cameras set up around him, his fans are tuned in online to watch him sing.
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Rebellious Unicorns has been running a live-streamed concert series at the 琉璃神社 Community Theatre since November 2020, providing local musicians with a chance to perform live, a rarity during the COVID-19 pandemic. While Live @ The KCT was initially planned as small, in-person shows, the production company shifted its approach after the province issued public health orders further limiting gatherings.
On Feb. 27 and 28, in partnership with 琉璃神社-based record label LegionHQ, Rebellious Unicorns hosted four rap and hip hop acts (, , , and ) on its streaming service, .
鈥淚t鈥檚 still obviously different because there鈥檚 no audience, but at least they鈥檙e getting to perform on a stage,鈥� said Dustyn Baulkham, executive producer and CEO of Rebellious Unicorns.
While there may not be an audience of people, every seat in the small Black Box theatre was filled.
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Rather than having artists play to an empty room, Rebellious Unicorns opted to sell plastic cutouts, allowing people to put themselves, their dog or whatever else they want in the crowd.
鈥淎t least it looks almost like an audience for them, so it feels a little bit more normal,鈥� said Baulkham.
And normalcy is something that musicians are striving for right now. The COVID-19 pandemic has nixed nearly every aspect of live performance for small local artists, who would usually look to book late-night gigs at bars and clubs.
鈥淩ight now, it鈥檚 absolutely essential for preserving what little is left of the entertainment sector,鈥� said LegionHQ鈥檚 Kyle Haynes, noting the importance of the proper sound, proper lighting and professional set-up Rebellious Unicorns provides.
鈥淟ive streaming is going to be the big thing for 鈥� we don鈥檛 know how long. It could be a year, two years; it could be this summer. It鈥檚 a reality that we have to deal with.鈥�
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From a performer鈥檚 point of view, Chrystal said the virtual stage is not all that different from its in-person counterpart 鈥� aside from the cutout of 鈥楶ickle Rick鈥� he made a note of during his set. Mostly, he鈥檚 just appreciative of the chance to play live.
鈥淚鈥檓 just so happy and grateful to be part of anything musical in the area,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t means everything to me. I love singing, I love performing, and I love sharing art. It鈥檚 a beautiful thing.鈥�
While artists are on board with the necessary change in medium, concert-goers have been tougher to convince. Asking music lovers to change the way they enjoy live shows is no easy task. But Haynes offered a solution to those looking for the 鈥渃lassic鈥� experience.
鈥淲hen we buy a live stream and watch it, we鈥檒l park two blocks away, charge ourselves $8 a beer, have ourselves wait 20 minutes to go to the bathroom, just to make it feel like a real concert experience,鈥� he joked.
Baulkham said he hopes to host another round of the Live @ The KCT series at the end of March. All of last weekend鈥檚 performances will be available for purchase for a limited time on .
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Do you have something to add to this story, or something else we should report on? Email: michael.rodriguez@kelownacapnews.com
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