We passed the year mark of the COVID-19 pandemic, and that means a year without concerts, live entertainment, and stage performances. It also means that local musicians now have a year’s worth of virtual performance experiences under their belts. Not only did they get the chance to explore other opportunities of their art, but they’ve also gotten pretty good at making videos and live streaming events. Here are some of our favorite recent covers by local musicians as we round out the end of the pandemic.
CS Luxem – “Rainbow” by Kacey Musgraves
Chris Luxem didn’t have to go this hard at the end of the pandemic, but he did. He’s been rolling out one cover after another in the last month, from the well-lit and relaxing room in his home. He’s put out quite a few (you can find them on his social media channels), but this is the one that floored us.

The King Sisters – “Savior Complex” by Phoebe Bridgers
You fools, you thought there was only one talented King, but there are three! May we introduce the King Sisters, a trio featuring the more well-known Kat King (who you may remember from our virtual PRIDE celebration last year). This year, they tackled a heartbreaking track by the ever-popular Phoebe Bridgers.

Katlyn Conroy – “Lovefool” by the Cardigans
We can’t explain why everyone’s so obsessed with the 90’s right now, but we don’t mind (sssh, don’t tell anyone how old we are!!). This month, songstress Katlyn Conroy takes us back with her perfectly-pitched vocals and a cover of “Lovefool” by The Cardigans. Word on the street is that a new album from Conroy is on the way, just in time for the return of live music.

Nick Carswell – “Beautiful Day” by U2
Nick Carswell is perhaps the one musician who didn’t just achieve notoriety with his pandemic livestreams, he absolutely conquered it. He’s been performing live every Friday night from his garage, constantly bombarded by requests from people who miss the piano-bar-atmosphere. Somehow, in the midst of this and all of his other performances, the Irishman found time to do a beautifully-lit, multi-camera shoot, accompanied by whimsical projections. We almost want him to keep up the virtual content once the pandemic ends.

Bonus post:
CS Luxem – “Where Will They Bury Me?” by Heidi Gluck
We will ALWAYS notice when a local musician covers another local musician. Like we mentioned earlier, Chris Luxem didn’t have to go this hard during the pandemic, but he did. He absolutely gutted us with this eerie and emotional cover of local musician Heidi Gluck’s “Where Will They Bury Me?”
The cherry on top? This is completely done a capella.View it on Instagram>

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