Needless to say, it’s been a weird year so far. With most things shutting down, we haven’t been able to do the typical things we’re used to doing, like go out to dinner, throw big parties, or anything else that requires a lot of people huddled together in a small space.
One industry, in particular, that took a major hit is the music industry. Since the pandemic began, we haven’t been able to attend concerts. Artists were scrambling to find other ways to connect with their fans, all of a sudden.
This loss eventually led to something quite new and exciting: virtual concerts! Celebrities, everyone from Miley Cyrus to Dua Lipa, have tried out live streaming, since it is something that offers an artist-to-fan connection. It is somewhat similar to a concert but, you know, virtual.
So earlier this month, Jack Johnson got together with one of Hawaii’s most respected musicians Paula Fuga, to play some music for the rest of the world.
Together, the two performed the beautiful tune, “Country Road.”
The performance was actually part of Kokua Festival, which is “a fundraiser for Kokua Hawaii Foundation as well as programs promoting food security and local food systems in Hawai‘i: Aloha Harvest, Chef Hui HI’s Give & Go Community Meal Program, and the Full Calabash Fund at The Kohala Center.”
Obviously, they are doing a Live From Home edition of the festival and we aren’t too mad about it. It is so relaxing to listen to and instills so much hope as we watch from home.
Johnson plays on his acoustic guitar while Fuga kills it on the ukelele.
“You ready?!” Johnson calls over to Fuga before they begin, showing that they are socially distancing in a proper manner. “Yeah!” Fuga calls out while laughing. Then he goes on to ask her which song she wants to play and the rest is history. They dive into the wonderful “Country Road.”
“Head on collision on a two lane country road / Lord, I pray, let them be safe / No turning back, I’m just a mile away from home / I sit here waiting let me be patient,” they sing together.
There are even some moments when they are just playing, and not singing, so the birds begin to chirp in. There is nothing more wholesome then a bird solo, if you ask us!
The two are nothing but smiles the entire time, they are clearly enjoying themselves so much.
At the end of the song, they both grin so big before deciding that the next song they want to play is, “Give Voice.” Fuga jokes about forgetting the chords but there’s no real reason to worry, because then they both dive into the song and hum together in perfect harmony.
The song is only just starting when Fuga then does her own little diddly over Johnson’s guitar playing. She belts it out, showing off her super strong voice which is really amazing.
“The world can’t be that bad … Somewhere in Hawaii Jack Johnson is still playing guitar in his sandals,” someone hilariously commented.
They’re not wrong!
In addition to this, Johnson has done other performances with several other artists for the festival. He did “Rainbow” with G. Love, “Banana Pancakes,” “New Axe” with Zach Gill, and “Constellations” with Eddie Vedder.
We are so happy to see that Johnson is still fighting to make a difference in the world, despite the unusual circumstances. Each and every one of these performances are so powerful!
Check out his incredible performance with Fuga below.
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