Alameda Safe Social Distance Porch Concert Series – Bay Station Band

submitted by Deborah Crooks, Bay Station Band

based in Alameda, Alameda County

The first week of the shelter-in-place order in the San Francisco Bay Area, [Deborah] was tagged on Facebook in response to a post in a local Alameda group calling for local musicians to play or sing on their porches at the same time that Friday. The post was inspired by footage of people singing in Italy during that country’s pandemic-related lockdown. Having just canceled my first scheduled gig, [Deborah] promptly vetted the idea with [their] immediate neighbors and signed up. A map of participating acts was posted online, we set up our gear on our porch, put up a livestream on Facebook, and began to play at 6pm. Within minutes a group of locals had cycled and walked over. During the next two hours, we had children bopping from their strollers, people dancing in the median and across the street. It was heartwarming for all of us.

Twenty weeks on, a volunteer, Irene Nexica, continues to manage the event online. Any musician in Alameda can sign up with their address, music and virtual tip jar details. Acts vary each week though there are many regulars, like us, who play each Friday. Our porch can safely accommodate 3-4 musicians and our bandmates join us as they’re available. We have regular listeners who bring their own chairs while, somee attendees plan out itineraries, visiting several porch shows in an evening. Overall, it’s been great to keep the music going and bring our community together during a challenging time.