Of all the cultural sacrifices we've had to make in the pandemic — movie theaters, stand-up comedy, music festivals — one of the most unfortunate has been the existence of Japan's storied live houses.
Logging on to a streaming platform to watch an edition of Korona Nights may not feel the same as attending an underground music event in person — standing drink in hand and preparing your ears for the sonic onslaught — but with quality sound mixing and creative videography, it definitely has more bite than your average YouTube session. Plus, you can mix the drinks from the comfort of your own home and not have to worry about your ears ringing afterward.
The Korona Nights concert series is produced by Kaala, a group of independent music promoters based in Tokyo who decided to harness the power of pandemic-fueled tech innovations to keep fans, artists and live venues connected in a time of isolation.