EDMONTON -- The Starlite Room in Edmonton has been a hub for live music for 30 years. Now temporarily closed because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the popular music venue is going digital to keep the music playing.

Starlite Sessions is a digital venue, streaming live concerts directly to fans and music lovers online.

"The world is changing and we’re all adjusting but we still want to be able deliver somehow and maybe give a break from some of what people are going through," co-owner Tyson Boyd told CTV News Edmonton.

The first concert was streamed on March 13, just hours after a public health order was put in place that closed the venue to the public. After some quick adjustments, The Real McKenzies still took the stage for the first Starlite Session.

Streaming concerts from the Starlite Room was on the radar before the outbreak.

The owners had planned on using the digital platform to connect with more people and to help younger bands just starting their music careers.

Now it's also about keeping the music playing.

"We’re still trying to maintain a community and still trying to deliver some performances and it’s also keeping us reasonably sane and giving us something to do and something to look forward to," Boyd said.  

With files from CTV News Edmonton's Graham Neil