Singer-songwriter Justin Trawick normally plays between 12 to 18 live shows a month, but with concert venues shutting down amid the coronavirus outbreak - and bills piling up - he had to come up with an alternative - fast.
This report produced by Jillian Kitchener.
(SOUNDBITE) (English) MUSICIAN, JUSTIN TRAWICK, SAYING: "Let me see the people real quick.
Okay.
Listen to me.
It's just you and me; it's just you and me right now.
Lean in.” Singer-songwriter Justin Trawick is staying close to his fans, while practicing social distancing by streaming his performances live on Facebook.
It’s all he can do as the spreading coronavirus in the United States put his dozen-or-so live shows a month on ice.
(SOUNDBITE) (English) MUSICIAN, JUSTIN TRAWICK, SAYING: "As a musician, 100 percent of my income comes from not only being a musician and playing guitar, but playing guitar live in front of people.
And for our shows - for my shows and people like me - for our shows to be canceled, it begins to dig very deep, slowly but surely, into the amount of money that I make to pay for things like: not only the rent here in my apartment where, you know, I'm talking, but also health insurance, car insurance, gas in my car, food…" So as a means of financial survival, the lead singer of "Justin Trawick and The Common Good” - along with his girlfriend - livestreams performances from his home in Arlington, Virginia.
Using only an iPhone, the 38-year-old films and collects digital donations.
BROLL: TRAWICK AS SEEN ON FACEBOOK LIVE SAYING (English): "These are the two ways that if you feel like tipping us you can.
And if you don't feel like it, no problem." In just two sessions, Trawick raked in enough money to cover the losses from five canceled shows.
But these socially-distant performances, according to Trawick, are now about more than just money.
(SOUNDBITE) (English) MUSICIAN, JUSTIN TRAWICK, SAYING: "You know, I think that we're bringing something to people that is creating a little bit of levity in their lives where they might all be a little stressed otherwise.
You know, we're going to the grocery store and people are - people are fighting over, you know, the last ream of toilet paper.
People are a little more worked up than they are normally in life.” In real life during a show, the cheers would be deafening if they came from a crowd of 3,000.
Whereas now, he says, the comments scrolling down the screen are the new kind of applause.