Keith Urban Stages Mini-Concert Online Amid Coronavirus Pandemic Shutdown [WATCH]
The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic shutdown can't stop Keith Urban! The country superstar was supposed to be playing a live show on Monday night (March 16) -- and he still did, albeit on a smaller scale than he'd intended.
After his intended gig was canceled due to coronavirus-related crowd size restrictions, Urban and a skeleton crew staged an online show, broadcasting a performance of a few songs live on social media for homebound fans.
"I just thought it would be nice to be able to play anyway," Urban explained to fans tuning in. "Even though we can't be in front of all of you guys tonight, I wanted to be able to play and just play some songs and bring a little bit of entertainment to y'all's screens."
Live from his warehouse space and accompanied by Jeff Linsenmaier -- his "insta-band," Urban joked -- Urban laid down a set that included "Love Somebody," "The Fighter" and his latest single, "God Whispered Your Name," among other songs. The pair were joined for the event by a single camera operator and Urban's wife, actor Nicole Kidman, who could be seen dancing and singing along to her husband's performance.
"I'm just basically playing karaoke, is what I'm doing," Urban joked about the set, later urging fans who were watching from home to sing along.
The World Health Organization (WHO) officially declared coronavirus a pandemic on March 11. According to the WHO, more than 167,000 cases of coronavirus have been reported in more than 110 countries and territories; a total of 6,440 deaths have been reported worldwide as of Sunday night (March 15). In the United States specifically, 3,499 people have been diagnosed with the virus, and 63 people have died; in Tennessee, there were 39 confirmed cases, including 17 in Davidson County, as of Sunday.
Within country music, artists are doing their part by either postponing or canceling both concerts and entire tours, while festival organizers are both rescheduling and canceling springtime events. Among others, the annual Stagecoach festival, usually held in April, will now take place in October, while Zac Brown Band have chosen to delay the remainder of their springtime tour dates. On Sunday, the Academy of Country Music announced the postponement of the 2020 ACM Awards.
Coronavirus Pandemic: What Country Music Events Are Postponed or Canceled (or Not)?