Screenshot via The Grand Collab/Twitch
A soundcheck session the night before the show, to make sure it sounds tight
Joining together "in the spirit of togetherness and social distancing," local showcase-producing powerhouse the Grand Collab are bringing their good vibes directly into your home via Twitch on Saturday night.
Calling this online installment of their popular hip-hop fest "STAY (UP) HOM(I)E(Z)!" the Collab crew include one of their deepest rosters yet, including E-Turn, J Biz and BIG PHELS, Midaz The Beast, MarzMello of Beermoneyunltd, AmIAm, Truly Def and Aubrey West, EyeQ, 200 Records A Day, DJ Bonita Vibez, and organizer DJ Cub rounding out the night.
When it debuted in 2014, our music columnist Bao Le-Huu said, "I’m rooting hard for this new entry into the scene. We would all be in a different, much better place if we fostered a rounded and enlightened local-music heterogeneity instead of the patchwork of cliques we often are."
Since then, it's only grown through the years, becoming a musical gathering place, until now only in person. Saturday promises all the togetherness possible In These Times, and maybe just a little bit more.
I was invited to take a listen to their soundcheck the night before, and the collaboration and sound is immediate and incredible. My girlfriend and I will be watching Saturday via the Twitch app on our Roku TV, to get more of the ol' nightclub feel. For a few hours, it might not even seem like we're sheltering at home – and that's kind of the point.
With a message to "Please stay home, stay safe, and stay up homiez!" the show allows viewers to make donations directly to the performers via PayPal.me/thegrandcollab and Venmo (@thegrandcollab), with all proceeds going directly to the artists.
The stream starts at 6 p.m. and continues until 11 o'clock, or whenever they decide to stop. It's all streaming for free on Twitch, usually a platform for live gaming videos, at twitch.tv/thegrandcollab. Check out the Facebook event page for more details.
Watch live video from thegrandcollab on www.twitch.tv _
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