On October 18th, Network:On hosted its most lively event yet, bringing together attendees from the government, private sector, as well as third party advocacy groups, including the Congressional Songwriter’s Caucus, and the media.
Everyone gathered at the District Architecture Center in downtown DC for a multimedia, hybrid experience that featured an artist in DC and the award-winning Band of Heathens live from their studio in Austin, Texas. Both talked passionately about how broadband connectivity throughout the COVID pandemic helped them stay afloat and unleash their musical talents.
Sebastian De La Peña, Digital Director for Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), Chair of the Songwriter’s Caucus, moderated a fascinating discussion with DJ Neekola and The Band of Heathens about the innovations made possible by America’s Excellent Internet.
DJ Neekola described how “thanks to the internet I can perform from anywhere,” and with that flexibility, she was able to “[move] to the Dominican Republic to have a better quality of life and keep DJing.” When asked about how the Internet has changed her approach to performing, she said, “at first I just DJ’d on the East Coast, but thanks to livestreaming and DJing virtual events, I have fans from all over the world.”
Before performing a live virtual show from Austin, Sebastian asked The Band of Heathens about their critically acclaimed Good Time Supper Club. Launched during the pandemic, the livestream ran for over 50 episodes. Gordy from The Band of Heathens explained that the internet allowed the band to “connect with [fans] in a new way,” and said it “was so emotionally rewarding.”
The band talked about recording cover songs and playing joint performances with fellow artists like Raul Malo, Todd Snider, Ray Wylie Hubbard, and Delbert McClinton. And despite the world opening back up, The Band of Heathens still performs a livestream show once a month to their highly engaged Patreon community.
Even when we couldn’t physically be together, America’s Internet allowed us to connect and enjoy a fundamental human pleasure: music. That lifeline helped us feel a little more normal in an unprecedented time.
