As the coronavirus continues to spread and people stay at home to practice social distancing, musicians are providing an outlet for quarantined entertainment. Coldplay’s Chris Martin livestreamed an entire concert, Christine And The Queens is setting up daily livestreams from her studio, and Charli XCX is coordinating livestream events with artists like Diplo, Clairo, and Kim Petras. Death Cab For Cutie’s vocalist Ben Gibbard is also providing a musical outlet to give fans a musical outlet.
During his nearly hour-long livestream, Gibbard played a breadth of songs from Death Cab For Cutie, his side project Postal Service, and his own solo work. Gibbard then performed a cover of Radiohead’s “Fake Plastic Trees.” Armed with just an acoustic guitar and his soaring voice, Gibbard gave a stripped-down rendition of the 1995 anthem.
In the livestream’s description, Gibbard wrote a heartfelt note to fans:
“I know you are all really freaked out right now. I am too. And while I’m proud that we’re all doing the necessary things at the moment to help flatten the curve, I know it has left us all incredibly isolated.
But because we’re all going through this nightmare together we are quite literally NOT alone. Our lives and stories are all linked, maybe more now than they have ever been.
Be it with DCFC, Postal Service, or solo I have always been grateful for the honor you have bestowed upon us by choosing to congregate en masse around our music. Some of you have traveled great distances and/or shelled out large sums of money to see us play and that has never been lost on me. So in this crazy and unprecedented time, I’d like to return the favor by coming to YOU.”
Watch Gibbard cover Radiohead’s “Fake Plastic Trees” above.
Read more of Uproxx’s coverage on the coronavirus here.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
