For the first time in its 139-year history, the Boston Symphony Orchestra was forced to cancel live performances with audiences for its fall and spring seasons. Despite the sudden changes last March, the orchestra quickly launched the BSO At Home initiative to share archival audio offerings, self-produced videos from BSO musicians, and videos from previous productions. During a traditional semester, Harvard students would often trek over to downtown Boston to catch a night show of the Boston Symphony Orchestra or the Boston Pops; now, however, they head to YouTube live streams for a socially distanced experience.
The House of Blues Boston, a home for live R&B music, folk art, and Southern-inspired food, was forced to reschedule many pre-planned shows and performances beginning March 2020 to abide by coronavirus guidelines. However, the venue quickly shifted its business to host virtual performances from artists on âvirtual tour,â including The Buckleys, The Big Push Band, and Willie Gomez. As Massachusetts has loosened its coronavirus restrictions, the House of Blues has begun to host limited capacity and socially distanced in-person performances.