Artists are coming up with all kinds of ways to approximate the concert experience while the world is in coronavirus lockdown, and today New York indie quintet Real Estate have launched their “Quarantour,” an augmented-reality experience with the goal of bringing fans “as close to a live concert as possible without having to leave home.”
Complete with the band’s five-piece stage setup backed by full light and sound rigs, between-song banter, even (spoiler alert) an encore, the interactive mobile web app can turn the viewer’s location into a “three-dimensional rock venue to explore and enjoy.” Click here for a demo about how it works.
The band had planned a two-month tour this spring to promote their new album, “The Main Thing,” but obviously those dates were postponed or cancelled along with every other music tour.
“Sadly, we’re all stuck indoors right now,” the band says in the intro of their Quarantour set. “And it seemed to us like we could all use a few songs now more than ever. We hope this brings good times into your homes, wherever they are.” The footage was shot before the lockdown.
The group produced the “Quarantour” in partnership with CALLEN, an independent creative agency based in Austin, TX. Founder and CCO Craig Allen explains:
“Collectively we wondered if there was a way to bring a live experience to fans when no one can leave their home. Instead of having a set time when everyone must join a live stream, what if we could make this an on demand experience people could use whenever/wherever the feeling strikes? That’s what augmented reality affords us.”