As concert venues, orchestral halls and performance spaces remain closed through the pandemic, one local group of singers is taking their performances virtual, caroling computer to computer instead of door to door.
"The arts were the first thing to shut down and then understandably so they'll be the last thing to come back," said Ryan Strand, a member of No Promises Vocal Band.
The group was initially founded in 2015 by Josh Steele, the current manager at Memorial Hall and a vocal instructor at Northern Kentucky University. Strand and other members of the group have performed on Broadway.
Instead of a sold out show, like last year, the group is launching a virtual concert, open to those who backed the Kickstarter campaign that made the stream possible.
"We would normally be doing concerts leading up to Christmas, we would have been doing other concerts throughout the year," said Strand.
The Kickstarter brought in the $7,000 the group needed to pay for licensing, sound technicians, video engineers and everything necessary to do a live performance. No Promises members plan to get tested for COVID-19 and then take the stage at Memorial Hall to record the performance.
"It's going to be a really cool mix of older songs, newer songs, Christmas favorites, that sort of thing," said Strand.
Kickstarter backers will get access to the full show and some swag, but anyone can watch the group's videos over the next few weeks, and provide a tip for the band.
