Let’s get this show on the road.
For most musicians, touring and live performances account for most of their income. Since concerts, as we knew them, were effectively canceled during the Covid-19 pandemic musicians were forced to find other means to connect with their audiences.
Early on, many musicians quickly took to live streaming – hosting concerts from home á la Tiny Desk Concert at Home. In the spirit of creativity, two pianists converted a 16-foot box truck into a touring concert truck in order to bring their music to the masses and it is currently back touring the streets of Dallas by popular demand.
“The DSO and The Concert Truck are presenting collaborative community concerts across the city, featuring musicians of the DSO and other arts organizations” reads the Concert Truck page on www.dallassymphony.org. “The pop-up concerts are held outdoors where audiences and performers are able to maintain a safe distance while enjoying live performances. Performances are free and last 45 to 60 minutes.”
In some ways pianists Nick Luby and Susan Zhang were ahead of their time. The two first had their idea to create The Concert Truck, a mobile venue set up with lights, a sound system, and a piano, back in 2016.
Before the pandemic, the two toured across the country in The Concert Truck, performing in festivals, parks, neighborhoods, and the streets — “anywhere you can think to park a truck.”
Luby, Zhang, and The Concert Truck also hoped to strengthen the bonds between local communities and their art organizations. In the coming weeks, The Concert Truck will be teaming up with DJs, symphony orchestras, and other local organizations in the Dallas Arts District playing at places like Dallas Public Library and Galleria Dallas.
Below is the full schedule for the next week:
All concerts are free. More information can be found at www.dallassymphony.org/the-concert-truck-residency or via The Concert Truck’s Instagram page.
[Featured image from Facebook / @theconcerttruck]