On Friday night, Whistlerites gathered for après—only the music, drinks, and conversation weren’t at their typical watering holes in the village.
Instead, locals—and people as far away as Australia—tuned in from the comfort of their own living rooms to see The Hairfarmers play in a Tapley’s Farm garage.
Organized in just a few days with technology from Whistler Live, the livestreamed concert not only had the intended effect of bringing a community together remotely, but also it raised over $40,000 for the Whistler Food Bank in a mere hour and a half.
That will add up to 1,100 emergency food bags that are desperately needed as locals continue to face layoffs during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It exceeded all of our expectations,” says Andrew Bacon, one of the three people behind Whistler Live and the show’s MC. “I was hoping for a couple hundred people to go online.”
In the end, over 900 people tuned in—many opening up their wallets and commenting in real time with requests, hellos, and well wishes.
Buried in one of the hundreds of comments: a message from the Whistler Blackcomb Foundation. On the fly, they offered to match donations up to $22,000.
“We had no idea that was going to happen,” Bacon says.
The Hairfarmers’ “Grateful Greg” Reamsbottom and Doug “Guitar Doug” Craig, kept one “Joey Ramone” apart as part of their social distancing and cranked through songs by Led Zeppelin, Grateful Dead, and The Tragically Hip.
(Only four people were in the garage, they all kept far apart, and disinfected equipment, Bacon was careful to add.)
“The boys were having fun,” Bacon says. “They knew what they were there to do. They had a couple shots of tequila to lighten up the spirits. It was a lot of positive energy.”
Meanwhile, Lori Pyne, interim executive director of Whistler Community Services Society (WCSS), which runs the food bank, and her team were also tuned in. She sent screenshots to Bacon throughout the show of the donations rolling in.
“We were for sure surprised,” she says, adding food bank visits in the last week have gone up about 30 per cent. “We were all texting each other. It was really fun, actually. It was an uplifting time in our week.”
In the end, the livestream brought together the community, created a sense of normalcy amidst uncertainty, and showcased just how generous Whistlerites can be.
“We all needed it," Pyne says. “For sure.”
Whistler Live has left the concert up for rebroadcasting here.
To donate to the Whistler Food Bank (or find out how to access it) go here.
