From John Legend and Chris Martin’s piano ballads to Code Orange’s fearsome rock, more and more stars are streaming gigs for isolated fans
March 14, TwitchHaving spent months planning the launch of their head-wrecking fourth album, Underneath, Pittsburgh metal crew Code Orange were unwilling to let a looming pandemic stop the mosh. After their world tour was cancelled, the five-piece opted to play a hometown gig in an empty 1,500-capacity theatre, streaming the whole thing for free via their Twitch channel. The alarmingly titled Last Ones Left: In Fear of the End show was a full-bore, bowel-quaking hour, an impressive shredded feat with retro CGI video inserts. (“When’s the PlayStation 2 game coming out?” snarked one commentator.) Amid the juddering riffage, there was little direct political commentary until singer Jami Morgan paused the show to direct the camera at the deserted venue: “This is what happens when the ratfucks who run this world don’t care about you, or me, or any of us.”