Robbie Christmas creates “Work From Home Seattle” concert livestream


Robbie Christmas in studio with musician Whitney Monge (photo courtesy of Gaby DeSpain)

Robbie Christmas with musician Whitney Monge

Many full-time musicians in the Seattle area are finding their incomes frozen as events and venues across the state remain closed. One of these affected artists is IAS alum Robbie Christmas (Media & Communication Studies ’11), also known as RX. Like many of his professional musician friends experiencing the consequences of quarantine first hand, RX “felt compelled to get involved and give back to the community that had made [him] feel whole and welcome.”

RX began working with fellow local musicians to organize Work From Home Seattle, a series of virtual concerts. The event livestreams performances from full-time artists and provides the audience the opportunity to donate directly to the musicians’ PayPal or Venmo accounts. These concerts have greatly appealed to both musicians and music lovers alike, and with an exponentially increasing view count, the performing artists are relieved to see success through the efforts of RX and his team.

“We want to make sure artists are able to gain some sort of income,” says RX. “And it’s great to see the number of viewers and donations continue to grow each week.” RX has been proud to share this experience with the people who first welcomed him into Seattle’s music scene, such as Arthur James, Whitney Monge, and the team at Sofar Sounds, noting, “Their passion for their community inspires me to pay it forward.”

If you’re looking for entertainment this Friday night, April 17, tune into the fourth Work From Home Seattle concert at 8:00 p.m. on Facebook. Performing artists include Linzy Collins, Young Chhaylee, Craig Suede, and Jason McCue. Concerts will continue throughout the month of April, with the possibility of continuing as quarantine extends. Anyone interested in keeping up with the series can follow Work From Home Seattle via Facebook and Instagram.