You’ve seen them online: young men and women rocking out in homemade studios, playing covers of pop tunes or performing their own songs.  They perform freestyle rap and make their music videos in the florescent lighting of their parents’ basement.  They do standup comedy and parodies of Harry Potter and Star Wars.  They speak directly to the audience without the filter of mega corporations scripting every second of screen time.

They are the first generation of YouTube stars, scoring millions of views and thousands of subscribers.  With the help of Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr, these performers are making names for themselves in a world overwhelmed by entertainment options.  But perhaps more importantly, these young faces are blazing trails in the wilderness that lies between the old entertainment industry model and the futuristic world of digital media.

You might think this is old news.  We all know the entertainment industry is fighting tooth and nail to protect their content.  We all saw Napster fall and be replaced by iTunes. We all want the musicians and actors we love to make enough money to keep doing what they’re doing but, as we saw from the public outcry over SOPA and PIPA, we all want internet content to be free, or at least, as free as possible.  Can you imagine having to pay to watch the “Sneezing Panda” video or Rebecca Black’s “Friday” music video?

I didn’t think so.

It is unclear how YouTube talent will be able to capitalize on their hard-earned popularity, which is why taking YouTube stars and sending them on a live, flesh and blood tour somehow seems…groundbreaking.  Is it possible the new model for the entertainment business could somehow also be the old model?  It’s too soon to say, but the folks organizing DigiTour 2012 are clearly willing to put their money on it.

Sponsored by Neuro Drinks (which if you've never heard of it similar to Vitamin Water but much tastier), DigiTour is not just a hypothetical project.  It ran in 2011 and was successful enough to return for a second run, which kicked off at the El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles March 8th.

“We have become the launching pad for self-made YouTube stars to take their shows on the road,” says DigiTour founder and producer Meridith Valiando.  “We’ve created an institution to celebrate these web superstars annually and give their fanatic subscribers an opportunity to see their favorite YouTube stars live.”

The 2012 tour features seven main acts (Dave Days, Asher Monroe, Nice Peter, DeStorm, Alex Goot, The Key of Awesome, Wellington feat. Ricky Ficarelli) interspersed with appearances by other acts (Booboo and Fivel Stewart, WhatADay Derek, Tiffany Alvord and Megan Nicole).  The performers vary from ‘newbies’ without much stage experience, to ones who have already been on Broadway and in major Hollywood films.  The show features a diverse combination of original songs, covers, comedy, rap, improv, and, not surprisingly, video.

The tour gives these YouTube stars the kind of career experience and legitimacy record companies look for, and some of the artists have already signed with record companies or paired with other professional projects.  But far from ‘selling out,’ from their humble roots these artists maintain a unique level of control over their work, and the focus seems to be more on collaborating with each other and making art rather than on selling records or merchandising.

In a time when Google is on the cusp of announcing the first ever internet television service at the same time that hipsters are tossing network TV in favor of Hulu, there’s a lot of uncertainty in how the changes in technology are affecting nacient entertainers and their careers.  Which is why these young pioneers embarking on a national tour is worth keeping an eye on.  What they do today to wrangle a living from their YouTube roots may well become the model for future artists down the line.  And the best part of it all is that these kids are at the beginning of their careers when they still come down off stage after the show to sign autographs.  So it may be worth your time to leave your computer desk and come meet these guys in person.  And then of course go back afterwards and brag to all your friends on Facebook.

Reach Whitney Bratton here. For more DigiTour coverage, click here.