TYNE VALLEY, P.E.I. — Summerside singer-songwriter Brooke MacArthur suspects the emotions she’s experiencing throughout the coronavirus pandemic pretty much mirror the feelings of most other Prince Edward Islanders and perhaps the global community.
She recently put those emotions and thoughts to music.
MacArthur was selected by the Rock the Boat Music Fest to kick off a Rock the Boat Live from Home online concert series. MacArthur was hosting the first Facebook Live show Friday night and planned to include her song in the set list.
Our first “Live from Home” performance...... Brooke MacArthur ! "Brooke Macarthur is a singer/songwriter from...
Posted by Rock The Boat Music Festival on Thursday, March 19, 2020
The song, she said, describes “the emotions that everyone is most likely feeling right now with this whole coronavirus going around, and it kind of gives reassurance that everything is going to be okay, that we’re in this together,” she said.
She used the melody from Hallelujah and changed up the lyrics.
“I think we will become stronger as a community when this is all over,” MacArthur said.
Rock the Boat Music Fest chair Adam MacLennan suggests the concert achieves a couple of significant objectives.
“Rock the Boat now has a significant following on Facebook, almost 12,000 followers.
Our Island artists, they’re not playing anywhere right now and, since we have a significant following like that on our page, we thought it would be a great way to let our Island artists, our Island musicians take over our Facebook page, play for a little while. At the same time it keeps people entertained at home.”
On the heels of MacArthur’s online concert Rock the Boat has Soul Filter booked for Saturday night and the Brad Milligan Band for Sunday night. All three shows go Facebook Live at 8 p.m.
Soul Filter and Brad Milligan Band have been previously featured at the Rock the Boat’s summer concert.
MacLennan describes MacArthur as extremely talented with a really good voice. She also has strong family ties in the Tyne Valley area.
After the opening weekend of the series, MacLennan said his committee hopes to put together a weeknight show, followed by another full line-up for next weekend.
Summer concert still planned
Rock the Boat Music Fest chair Adam MacLennan said VIP tickets for this summer’s concert at Green Park are almost all sold out. There are still lots of general admission tickets available but in the current uncertainties those ticket sales have all but dried up. He said his committee is still proceeding with plans for the August 1 show.
“When this does pass and when events do reoccur and when we’re able to start ramping up and getting ready for the event - it’s going to be very important this year – you’re not going to have a lot of time to market and to plan,” he said. “When this is over with – COVID-19, hopefully sooner than later – I think event organizers on P.E.I., they’re left to kind of scramble right now.
