B.C. town gets creative providing live music during the COVID-19 pandemic - Action News
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British Columbia

B.C. town gets creative providing live music during the COVID-19 pandemic

A new concert series is launching in Revelstoke, B.C., with COVID-19 safety precautions top of mind.

'I'm excited to see bands outside in the evening in some quirky places'

On July 8, Jared Wayne and Nik Winnitowy played for a small group near the B.C. Forestry Museum in Revelstoke, about a one-kilometre hike into the forest. (Mira Ehrler)

A global pandemic didn't keep the town of Revelstoke, B.C., down for long.

Although the city's Summer Street Festwas cancelled due to COVID-19, the local arts council has announced a new concert series with secret locations.

The series is called Guerrilla Gigs, and it will feature local artists and musicians from "further away" performing in iconic outdoor locations throughout the city on Wednesdays during July and August.

"I'm excited to see bands outside in the evening in some quirky places," said Miriam Manley, executive director of the Revelstoke Arts Council.

"I love doing new programming and I love challenging myself and our organization to do new things."

A limited number of tickets will be sold for a new concert series in Revelstoke, called Guerrilla Gigs, to ensure physical distancing and to create a more intimate experience. (Mira Ehrler)

Although one of the secret locations was revealed at a performance staged Wednesday, Manley wouldn't reveal where some of the others might be. She did mention the importance of having a sound technician there, in case a show was near, perhaps, a loud waterfall.

Shows will be announced a week in advance, and tickets will be released at noon on the Sunday before the show.

To account for physical distancing, only 25 tickets will be sold for each show. Tickets are $10 each.

"It's a really small gig for a micro audience and they're gonna get this really, really intimate, special experience," Manley said.

The idea is to have everyone spaced out, in lawn chairs or on blankets, within their own social groups. There will be signsabout distancing and hand sanitizer will be made available.

Revelstoke, B.C., is known for its outdoor adventures, but the Guerrilla Gigs concert series aims to showcase the city's arts and culture scene. (Facebook/Revelstoke Adventure Park)

Each performance will also be recorded and posted to YouTube, in the hopes of showing the city off to potential visitors.

"Tourists [will] have this really cool sense of Revelstoke, because it's not only a great place to come and experience the outdoors, but also a place that's got some great culture happening and great music," Manley said.

With files from Dana Kelly