A Kelowna-based harmonizing collective is marrying live music and live streaming to make shows more accessible.
That is not all that That Awful Rhythm, does; composed of Michael S.E. Elliot also known as Kelowna Busker and Jesse Blashill, the two have joined forces to build something unique.
The duo have a weekly variety show, That Awful Variety Show, held in the quiet Glenmore neighbourhood at Flux 74 where local musicians perform and convert their songs to acoustic allowing for experiments to flourish such as acoustic punk songs. Local comedians are also featured in the line-up to close the show.
“We are trying to meet the audience where they are,” said Elliot.
“Instead of us focusing on us performing in bars, which we still do, but our efforts are to try to meet people where they already are, and they are online. We meet them on a live stream.”
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Through twitch.tv, an interactive live streaming video platform they provide videos of them and friends performing as well as the variety show. Viewers can tune in, request songs and interact with them while they perform.
“Though everything there is change and adaptation. A regular business model is a failing business model. So this came from the necessity of invention,” said Blashill.
When it came to naming themselves, the duo took a page from the Dark Knight of the comic universe.
“Much like Batman, we named ourselves after what we are afraid of,” said Blashill. “The name That Awful Rhythm is meant to be the noise of life and the collective is an escape from that.”
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The two musicians have set out to create a community for musicians through open-sourcing. That Awful Rhythm will be allowing other musicians to download the audio stems of their songs so that they can use them to build their own songs. They only ask that they are given credit as contributors to the song, it isn’t used commercially and that the song be released under an identical Creative Commons Copyright License so that other artists can use it as well.
That Awful Variety Show takes place every Wednesday night from 7 p.m. until 9 p.m. That Awful Rhythm will perform June 5 at Milkcrate Records
To tune into their their live stream, or watch prior casts visit www.twitch.tv/thatawfulrhythm
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