Some of Los Angeles’ best cultural institutions are committed to keeping us entertained and educated from afar –From virtual tours to livestreams and digital archives, cultural heavyweights like The Getty Center, The Broad, The GRAMMY Museum and Hollyhock House all have offerings you can experience from home.
Likewise, Memphis, the home of music, has picked up the slack in an era of global live entertainment cancellations, banding together to bring the music of Memphis to people who can’t travel.
Launching a virtual music festival, the Memphis event will not only enable those self isolating to party, but will also raise funds for musicians who are among the many severely affected by the COVID-19 crisis and the ongoing cancellation of events, gatherings, and travel.
The Memphis free event will be streamed as a live Facebook event, hosted from the Memphis Tourism website and will run from 26 – 28 March 2020. The event will include a donation button to encourage those who are able, to support the musicians giving their time to provide entertainment and brief stress relief for people around the world – all from a very safe distance.
MEMPHIS MUSIC
Headliners already signed on include blues-soul band and recent Grammy nominees. Southern Avenue, Ben Nichols of Southern rock band Lucero – both of whom have recently toured Australia – and Memphis-bred experimental funk bassist MonoNeo.
“The musicians of Memphis play an integral part in the city’s identity – as they have throughout history. The destination’s live music scene is one of the world’s most vibrant and this festival provides a great opportunity to help lift people up during what is an incredibly challenging time, whilst still celebrating the music that our great city is famous for.”
The festival line up [in Australia AEDT] is as follows:
Friday, March 27 11am AEDT
7PM: Mononeon
Saturday, March 28th 12pm – 2pm AEDT
8:00: D’Monet
8:30: IMAKEMADBEATS
9:00: Louise Page
9:30: Southern Avenue
Sunday, March 29th 12pm – 2pm AEDT
8:00: Brandon Kinder of The Wealthy West
8:30: Doll McCoy & Derek Brassel
9:00: Cameron Bethany
9:30: Ben Nichols of Lucero
LA VIRTUAL CULTURE TOURS
The Broad
Experience L.A.’s famous contemporary art museum, built by philanthropists Eli and Edythe Broad in Downtown L.A. without leaving the house. Browse the incredible online collection and view the YouTube channel to see playlists like The Un-Private Collection, Summer Happenings, Gallery Talks, and Special Exhibitions.
The Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA):
Launched Virtual MOCA on 23 March. This new daily series will be available on the museum’s website and across its social channels. Each day will have a different theme.
The Getty Center
Explore current exhibitions online such as Michelangelo: Mind of the Master or tap into the Getty’s Art Podcasts.
GRAMMY Museum
Has debuted never-before-released digital Public Programs from their archive, which will feature intimate sit-down interviews with artists and musicians (like BIllie Eilish and Greta Van Vleet!). A new program will be released every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 11:00am PST.
Hollyhock House
Built 1919-21, the iconic house was Frank Lloyd Wright’s first architectural project in Los Angeles. In July 2019, the Hollyhock House became the first LA landmark designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. To increase access, the Virtual Tour allows users to experience all of Wright’s masterpiece, including first and second-floor spaces that are mobility inaccessible. Selected objects throughout the house have pop-up descriptions with optional audio, indicated on screen by a + sign.
IMAGE: Memphis neon sign on Beale Street
