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Well, comfort-seeking music lovers have found a way, and it’s very appealing. The internet is calling it “Homechella,” but in truth, it’s just a livestream.
Live streaming music festivals from the comfort of their couches, Homechella “goers” are taking social media by storm and showcasing a new, cozier way to enjoy music festivals. The new primary goal is comfort, ease, and accessibility.
Could this finally be the win-win that every concert-goer’s tired feet and empty wallets were begging for?
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Spiritually in the Crowd, Physically on the Couch
It’s no secret that music festivals are pricey, laborious, and downright exhausting, yet crowds of eager fans are still lining up for their chance to slip into the pre-sale list for next year’s limited supply of tickets.
You would think that after such a physically and mentally draining experience, ticket interest would be at an all time low. However, Coachella, and other enormous music festivals wield a powerful, socially-derived tool that will always make their events sell out: FOMO.
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The fear of missing out, or “FOMO,” preys on people’s insecurities according to Dr. Rashmi Parmar, a psychiatrist with Psychiatric Times. “It is natural to compare ourselves to others and even to experience envy,” he says. ”These feelings are deeply rooted in our need to belong and connect with others.” Parmar also argues that social media plays an integral role in experiencing FOMO, which can trigger feelings of exclusion and isolation that reignite certain traumas, like elementary school memories of getting picked last for dodgeball.
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Of course, FOMO has existed long before social media, but socials have a nifty ability to constantly inundate their users with pictures of friends, family, and acquaintances having fun without them, thus increasing everyone’s FOMO. Likewise, music festivals and other large-scale events exacerbate the feeling of being left out, weaponizing FOMO as one of the biggest motivators for music festival ticket sales.
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Well, FOMO and, of course, the music.
Nobody wants to miss out on their favorite artists’ once-in-a-career shows, the drama of theatrical sets, and the experience of witnessing the world’s biggest artists all in one place. However, it’s these horrible, exhausting aspects of festivals that gatekeep the musical aspect.
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Now, to the delight of the audiophiles on a budget, who want to watch shows but don’t want all the hassle, livestreamed festivals are becoming a new norm. From the comfort of their own homes, viewers can banish the FOMO, blast the music, and dance their hearts out until a 10 PM bedtime by streaming music festivals in real time… All while wearing their coziest pajamas and having their bed to sleep in.
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Restival Season
There’s nothing wrong with wanting to feel rested, rejuvenated, and refreshed, yet during festival season, social pressure to spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars on tickets to see bands live. Although it can be a fun, extraordinarily moving experience to be at a music festival in person, in truth, every festival demands a Herculean effort from its attendees.
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However, in an era that heavily prioritizes self-care, where people are becoming more in tune with their desires, needs, and priorities, livestreamed festivals may become the thing of the future. Not because anyone forgot concert broadcasts existed, but because this kind of frugal, low-effort, inclusive entertainment is what everyone needs right now to take care of themselves.
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Livestreaming a concert doesn’t even need to be a solitary event, it can be a social watch party if someone has the right setup and a positive mindset. With a livestream, people can all experience Homechella, for about 1/100th of the price and with a miniscule fraction of the effort. Sometimes, a little simplicity is what we really needed all along.
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YouTube-streamed festivals open an entirely new door to the festival experience, making Coachella and similarly enormous festivals more accessible to the fans who don’t want to wake up with bags under their eyes for two weeks just to watch Sabrina Carpenter’s latest stage stunt. If self-care looks like enjoying a live music festival on YouTube, while saving some money, then that’s the kind of future I can get behind.
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Perhaps, too, there’s a time in every music lover’s life when they accept that festivals are simply too much. If they’re being honest with themselves, what they craved all along was a banger set, a dazzling light show on the big screen, and impressively athletic camera work, all with a blanket on their legs and a happy cat purring in their lap.
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