David Rovics

Watching a livestream broadcast of a concert is an interesting proposition for me, since I prefer my concerts actually live. David Rovics is undoubtedly at his best at a concert, so I joined the broadcast of his house concert expecting that (as I have found with his youtube broadsides and radio broadcasts) the abstract nature of the audience would detract from the show. I was pleased to discover that I was wrong.
Two aspects of the broadcast contributed to its success. The location, and the inclusion of a local audience.
There was an audience was in David's living room, giving the concert an intimate atmosphere that went a long way to overcoming the sense of distance created by watching a live show via a camera. The camera was set up so we virtual participants "joined" the audience, and David could address both simultaneously. There was a message board that David (and all of us online) could see and respond to, so we were included in that unique rapport with the audience that he always builds with a live show.
There were also some special moments experienced just by the virtual audience. David has written songs about the grandparents of a friend of his in Hamburg, and he played both of them. That granddaughter was watching the show from Denmark, and responded with appreciative comments on the message board. It was interactions like this which took the virtual concert from "nearly as good as live" to having a unique value of its own, one impossible to attain with an actual live audience.
The interaction between global and local are a unique feature of today's technology, and artists are often to be found there, experimenting with the tech and the show. This particular fusion of live and virtual worked very well, and I look forward to joining more concerts like this one, either (and this is a change!) virtually- or really.

We had a great concert last night with David Rovics at the Mount Toby Friends Meeting House. We heard a lot of his new songs: lots of funny songs interspersed with serious history lessons. I especially enjoyed the Hillary and Trump songs.
If you like to hear the truth about history and politics, don't miss a concert by David Rovics.

Went to see David and the amazing Jess silk last night5 at the kitchen garden in birmingham. My boyfriend is a HUGE fan of David, i was invited and went blindly after not hearing any of his music before. I was pleasently surprised! It was an amazing show! I would 100% go again! Can't wait for him to be back in birmingham.

Very committed political songs from David as usual. The best one 'I'm a better anarchist than you' is apparently a big hit in Denmark. Some of the songs are perhaps a bit gloomy but all very professionally performed. Looking forward to his next appearance!

David Rovics was as always great, with his brilliant relevant songs, and awesome guitar play. The venue was amazing, and lots of other interesting acts and banter among the regulars.