Editor’s Note: We have tweaked our This Show Is Tonight series to reflect the recent phenomenon of live music livestreaming in the age of social distancing.
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Today’s a pretty decent day for livestreams and digital events, from Diet Cig’s listening party to Tim Burgess’ tweet fest over New Order’s Lowlife, but one specific stream is certified galactic: The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum’s Space Songs: Through the Distance.
The YouTube concert goes down tonight (April 30) at 8 p.m. ET, featuring musicians “sharing songs about space and isolation to celebrate how extreme situations can bring out the very best in us all and why there’s no challenge we can’t face together,” according to the event description.
The event is hosted by Tested’s Adam Savage, with performances by Ben Gibbard of Death Cab for Cutie, Best Coast’s Bethany Cosentino, clipping, Dan Deacon, Grace Potter, and more. Oh, and Sting!
“We know that people love space,” writes the Smithsonian. “And it’s not just because of moon rocks and pretty pictures of the cosmos. Space exploration is an extraordinary expression of humanity and can inspire us like nothing else. Naturally, there are a lot of great songs about spaceships and astronauts — about ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances And many artists use solitude to fuel creativity and experimentation. We could all use a little bit of that inspiration right now. So while our museum remains closed to the public, we want to share some songs that inspire us with viewers at home.”
Sounds like a blast.