COLORADO SPRINGS — The pandemic has made it tough for many of us to go to concerts or enjoy live music indoors, but a local initiative is bringing live performances to you.
It's called Curbside Culture, and it's supported by the Cultural Office of the Pikes Peak Region. October is the 7th annual Arts Months, which means plenty of events are taking place across Southern Colorado to support local artists and musicians, including this initiative that brings performers, musicians and dancers to your front door or in a safe, socially-distanced setting.
Village at the Bluffs, a local independent senior living facility, recently requested to have Roma Ransom, a local folk music group perform for some of the residents.
"People are craving live music since they haven't been able to see it in so long or hear it," said Gordon Lewis, a guitar player and vocalist in the group.
However, live performances have been hard to come by because of COVID restrictions and not being able to gather in large groups.
"Our entire schedule kind of fell out from under us. We had quite a few cancellations simply because it wasn't the safest scene to be playing indoors anymore," said Grace Easley, a violinist and vocalist in the group.
"When we first found out we were no longer going to be having gigs, we were trying to figure out what to do for supplemental income," said Lewis. "So we were forced to find other avenues for performing."
The two say 2020 hasn't been a steady tempo for musicians like themselves. Before the COVID pandemic hit, their summer calendar was full of performances, then when the pandemic hit, many of them were canceled.
However now, the group is back on beat thanks to Curbside Culture. Once a performance is requested online, musicians, dancers and performers come to your curb for a live, personal performance outside. The performances are limited to small groups, everyone wears masks, and people are socially distanced.
"It's encouraged more people to see live music again in a safe socially distanced setting," said Lewis.
The group has slowly been building their schedule back up and booking more performances especially during Arts Month, and thanks to the initiative, they're playing to the tune of a steady income once again.
"That initiative means everything to us," said Easley. "It came at just the right time when local musicians weren't scheduling anymore. It has really bolstered our ability to perform."
"It's allowed us to be able to perform like we love to do and also have an income stream again," said Lewis.
There are about 20 different performers who are a part of Curbside Culture. For more information on requesting a performance, click here.
