Online-Only Music Festival Announces First Acts

Kip sang about his love of technology and the World Wide Web (and LaFawnduh) in “Napoleon Dynamite.” Viacom is sharing its feelings about the Internet by hosting a 24-hour online-only music festival with more than 50 acts including Hanson, Gavin DeGraw and Kate Nash.

The “Live Music Day” coincides with the O Music Awards, which Viacom’s MTV, VH1 and CMT puts on to honor the best in digital music. Fan-voted categories include best artist Instagram, best interactive music video, best music app and best web-born artist.

An announcement on O Music Award’s website says that Live Music Day “is a celebration of the Web and how it makes it possible for anyone, anywhere to take in live music right from the comfort of their own abode.”

Photo: Scott Legato / RockStarProPhotography.com

Verizon Wireless Music Center, Noblesville, Ind.

O Music Awards and the 24-hour Live Music Day festival begin June 19 at 7 p.m. Eastern Time. The performances will take place in New York, Nashville and Los Angeles, streamed live from Viacom’s offices, according to Reuters.

Along with Hanson, Gavin DeGraw and Kat Nash, the initial lineup was announced this week including Matt Nathanson, Atlas Genius, The Boxer Rebellion, Blackberry Smoke, Luke James, Labrinth, Dinner And A Suit, Josh Krajcik, and more.

The Roots’ Questlove has signed on to take part in a 24-hour “drum-a-thon,” according to Reuters.

More acts will be announced.

Photo: John Davisson

Double Down Live, Gainesville, Fla.

Plus, the five “Make A Band Famous” finalists will perform, competing for votes during the show for the chance to play VMA weekend in August, in addition to being crowned MTV’s Artist to Watch, VH1’s You Oughta Know, or CMT’s Listen Up band. The finalists include Chill Moody, Darling Parade, The So So Glos, Striking Matches and Syd Arthur.

Fans can watch Live Music Day and the O Music Awards from their laptop, tablet or smartphone. And you won’t have to sit through all 24 hours of music to catch the bands you want to see. O Music Awards’ website says “you’ll have the opportunity to customize your O Music Awards experience to stream the acts you can’t miss, see the award announcements you care about, engage with the performers and audience via Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, and watch as one of the five ‘Make a Band Famous’ finalists is crowned the winner!”

For more information and to vote for the O Music Awards nominees click here.

To learn more about “Make A Band Famous” finalist Darling Parade, click here for Pollstar’s recent interview with the group.