Mount Vernon's An Die Musik Goes Virtual Amid Coronavirus Pandemic
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- The coronavirus pandemic has meant countless live concerts and performances have had to be canceled, a blow to musicians and music lovers alike.
One local venue, though, Mount Vernon's celebrated An Die Musik, has a solution: it's live-streaming concerts right into the comfort and safety of peoples' living rooms.
On the outside, it's a rowhome on Charles Street. On the inside, Craig Alston on saxophone celebrates his birthday with his fellow musicians and a live virtual audience.
Attendees from far outside Baltimore -- locations varying from New York and California to Italy and Singapore -- are tuning in to get their music fix amid the pandemic.
An Die Musik began streaming concerts in March. So far, they've put on 81 shows ranging from jazz to hip hop, R & B and classical.
Viewers pay $5 and can watch the show as much as they'd like for a week.
"Under these circumstances, during any stressful moments, most of us reach out to music," An Die Musik's founder Henry Wong said.
Wong, a Hopkins-trained scientist, opened a record store in Towson 30 years ago. Two decades ago, he opened the space in Mount Vernon, now considered one of the top 11 jazz venues in the world by DownBeat magazine.
Amid the pandemic, Wong said the concerts act as a way of serving the musicians and music-loving public.
"It doesn't really matter how much money we make... we have done something nice for humanity," he said.
An Die Musik holds four or five different shows each week, with shows scheduled for Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday. For a full lineup and to learn more, click here.