Virtual concerts firm Wave is announcing “One Wave,” a series of virtual concerts with John Legend, Galantis, Tinashe, and others. The company uses cutting-edge broadcast and gaming technology, creating motion-captured performances of the artists and turning them into animated characters in virtual worlds.
Wave will transform all participating artists into their own digital avatars, allowing them to perform live in an immersive and fantastical virtual world. The news comes just after Epic Games announced that its live concerts for Travis Scott in Fortnite drew more than 27 million viewers to see his Astronomical show.
Former Wave artists, including emerging popstars, DJs, and musicians Tinashe, Jauz, and Lindsey Stirling, will also return to the platform this spring, after previously performing for up to 500,000 fans worldwide. While Wave started in VR, its latest concerts and events are distributed across all major platforms, including YouTube, Twitch, Facebook, digital and gaming channels, and through the Wave app available for Steam and Oculus. Wave also announced partnerships with Warner Music Group and Roc Nation, and it is working with several music labels, management companies, and independent artists to connect a roster of talent with the next generation of concert-goers.
Above: Tinashe is part of Wave’s new animated concerts.
The series kicks off on April 30 at 3 p.m. Pacific time with a special live encore of the Church of Galantis. Additional show dates will be announced and rolled out over the next several months.
Wave CEO Adam Arrigo said in a statement that we are now living in a digital avatar culture, and that his company’s proprietary technology and core gaming capabilities enable it to go beyond the traditional live streaming concerts and create artist avatars, virtual environments, and interactive experiences. He said these virtual shows will help monetize performances for the artists, who can’t do live concerts during the pandemic.
Tinashe said in a statement that she is excited to bring back her Wave experience for fans. During a time where going to live shows is impossible, it’s more important than ever to stay connected and continue to inspire each other, she said.
Los Angeles-based Wave said the virtual experiences will provide artists with a platform to create authentic digital avatars and environments that represent their artistic vision in real time, speaking directly to today’s gaming and tech-centric audiences. Performances will stream across various social media and gaming platforms, so fans can socialize and interact with the artists as they perform, cheer as part of a global avatar audience, vote on key show moments, play mini games, and socialize with each other.
In an effort to support the greater global community, proceeds from the series will go directly to nonprofit organizations that need support during the current global COVID-19 pandemic. The Ad Council will also be providing important public service messaging around mental health awareness and resources as an extension of its COVID-19 response efforts.
