warning Hi, we've moved to USCANNENBERGMEDIA.COM. Visit us there!

Neon Tommy - Annenberg digital news

Spotify Combines Technology And Live Music In A New Tour

Candice Aman |
August 17, 2012 | 1:00 a.m. PDT

Senior Arts Editor

Lead singer of JJAMZ perched up on a tree. (Candice Aman/ Neon Tommy)
Lead singer of JJAMZ perched up on a tree. (Candice Aman/ Neon Tommy)
With a spanking new tour bus equipped with enough gadgets to make any music lover’s head spin, Spotify, the online streaming service, kicked off its cross-country trip last week to bring fans an interactive music experience unlike any other.

For the next few months, Spotify will be hitting the road with its signature bright green bus to host live performances from much buzzed-about artists such as Kendrick Lamar and Geographer, among many others, in various cities.

Among the features built into this technologically sound vehicle is a giant interactive boombox, which allows guests to sync their smart phones and select their favorite tracks to add to the party playlist. But be warned, while everyone can contribute whatever tunes they want, a higher (and more judgmental) power otherwise known as a Spotify employee also has the ability to skip through the selections. So please, refrain from adding “Call Me Maybe.”

With the first stop in L.A., it is only fair that the digital music application would employ emerging acts from this city to play alongside bigger bands like Yacht and Grouplove. Locally bred group, JJAMZ was the surprise hit of the night, entrancing guests with a selection of their most saccharine sweet jams. Lead singer, Z Berg, (formerly of the sixties-tinged girl group, The Like) serenaded the crowd with her haunting vocals, all while she was perched up in a tree.

Glendale natives, The Henry Clay People, brought their quintessential rambunctious spirit and head-banding/hair-flipping tunes to the party next. By this point, a crowd of teenagers was already shaking vigorously to the beat of the music in anticipation for synth-dance duo, Yacht to start their set.

Hailing from the Pacific Northwest, Jona Bechtolt and Claire L. Evans of Yacht got every self-conscious partygoer to dance carelessly, a fitting band to close out the mini concert. The pair debut a couple of new tracks of their own, including one in French, and also performed with long-time contributors Jeffrey Jerusalem and Bobby Birdman.

Through a partnership with Yahoo! Music, fans who are unable to attend the events can stream live performances as well as access exclusive video content from the road.
 
This tour will also help to support and raise awareness for the Pablove Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to fund the research and treatment of pediatric cancers.

Who would have thought that technology and live music would make the perfect pair? Spotify gets all the credit for this one.

To learn more about this music experiment, visit Spotify on Tour's Facebook page

Reach Arts Editor Candice here. Follow her on Twitter.



 

Buzz

Craig Gillespie directed this true story about "the most daring rescue mission in the history of the U.S. Coast Guard.”

Watch USC Annenberg Media's live State of the Union recap and analysis here.

 
ntrandomness