When the COVID-19 pandemic first hit in March of 2020, I felt entirely out of my depth. My schedule was overwhelming, and no one was really sure how the world would look in a year’s time. I toiled through the first couple of days, but I have to give an Irish rock band called the Dropkick Murphys credit for changing my outlook. They played one of the first live streams of the pandemic to an empty venue on St. Patrick’s Day, which completely turned my day around. From that point onward, I have kept track of tons of free live music streams, and as the pandemic hopefully winds down, I thought it was time to share some of my favorites to help keep you going.

All that Jazz

My first and foremost recommendation would be the online live streams of Andy Timmons. A legendary guitarist based in Dallas, Andy plays two live streams every Saturday on StageIt.com. StageIt is totally accessible, and it is tremendously easy to use. Andy’s shows are also “pay what you can,” so you can get a ticket for as little as $0.10. A lot of Andy’s music is instrumental, focusing on rock, blues, and jazz, but Andy has also done vocal and guitar tributes to The Beatles, Van Halen, Jimi Hendrix, and beyond. The community of fans that tune in each week are kind and uplifting, and I haven’t missed a show since April of 2020.

In the Mood for Metal Music?

If you need a laugh and enjoy the heavier metal side of music, I’d recommend the Psychostick live streams on Youtube. Lengthy and hysterical, this comedic metal band will have you in tears before the weekly concert is up. Their shows are completely free and have run most every Thursday since the pandemic began. I must warn you though; this is not a show I’d watch with my four-year-old. ;)

More Quancerts and QuaranTEAs

If electric rock and roll isn’t your thing, don’t worry, I’ve done more exploring than that! One of my other favorite country live stream series is JR Moore’s Monday Night Quancert series. Live on Facebook every Monday night, JR brings powerful country and folk music live and acoustic from his home. Also, every show title is as clever as the Quancert Series, so there’s no reason not to check this guy out.

Finally, this post wouldn’t be accurate if I didn’t recommend Tori Kelly’s “QuaranTEA with Tori” Instagram live series. Tori went live almost every day in the spring of 2020, and her shows are incredible. If you aren’t familiar with this pop and R&B legend, check the recordings of her live streams out on Youtube now.

Chances are, your favorite artist has also gone live during this pandemic. Some artists are doing lots of Q&A sessions on Instagram, while others are putting together fully-produced concerts. Look them up on Facebook and see what they’ve been up to. And of course, feel free to let us know what you have found and what you’d recommend. I’m always looking for new concerts to watch, and they might end up on this list next time!