EDMONTON -- Almost 50 artists are coming together for what is billed as Canada’s first digital music festival. The Dieselbird online festival will feature six hours of music over two days this weekend, including performances from chart-topping stars such as Dallas Smith, Terri Clark and Tyler and Shawn Hook.
The event is organized and hosted by Edmonton musician Dan Davidson who wanted to do something to help artists whose concerts have been cancelled or postponed due to the Covid-19 outbreak
"Our livelihoods are more or less threatened now," says Davidson. "If this lasts into the summer, 75 per cent of our touring income as artists is gone."
Davidson wanted to bring a lot of artists together to play shorter sets in order to replicate the feeling of going to a festival. He says he started by reaching out to one or two to being with and in a short time had dozens of performers from every genre agreeing to take part.
"It’s really cool to have a lots of number-one having, gold-selling, Juno-winning, chart-toppers, involved in this whole thing," laughs Davidson who had a string of hits himself.
Davidson will host the event, introducing and interviewing each artist. He says because they’re performing from their own home’s, viewers will be in for some surprises.
"You could get the chance to see Dallas Smith in his jammies in his living room or Jojo Mason playing piano with his mom. I don’t know what you’ll see but it’s going to be something interesting."
And he says the artists, including himself, are looking forward to adding a little music into their homes.
"A lot of us in the country world seem to be dads so we’re all busy building pillow forts, making obstacle courses and doing Play Doh. This is a nice break from the Play Doh."
The Dieselbird online festival will take place on Instagram Live Saturday and Sunday from noon until 3 p.m. Money raised through merchandise will be donated to the Unison’s COVID-19 Relief Program.
