November 23, 2021 - For Immediate Release
POPINS PREMIERES VIRTUAL ARTIST MEET AND GREETS AT NOV 20th SMASH BENEFIT CONCERT
Lifelike 3D videos of performing artists appear next to fans to their surprise and delight
Popins joins robust Seattle community in supporting local artists and music
On November 20th at the star-filled SMASH benefit concert, Seattle start-up Popins premiered a new fun way for people to connect with artists and amplify their concert experience. Moore Theater attendees were the first to participate in a virtual “Meet and Greet” and instantly receive a photo branded with the event name to keep and share.
The Seattle Area non-profit SMASH (Seattle Musicians Access to Sustainable Healthcare) annual benefit concert featured: Dave Matthews, Tomo Nakayama, Duff McKagan, Sera Cahoone, Stone Gossard, Ian Moore, Shaina Shepherd, Stephanie Anne Johnson, Brittany Davis, Shelby Earl, Naked Giants, Zan Fiskum, Alec Shaw, Eric Howk (Portugal the Man), Julia Massey (Warren Dunes), Kim West & Ryan Devlin (Smokey Brights), Beverly Crusher, Jen Ayers, Debbie Miller and house band Mike Musburger, Rebecca Young, Paul Hiraga, Tim DiJulio, Ric Penttila, Max Rose, and Jeff Brown. Remote audiences were able to view and listen to the benefit in live time on Amazon’s Twitch channel from home.
Fans stepping into the Popins Photo Booth area at the Moore were all smiles as the artist of their choice suddenly appeared next to them on screen as a realistic 3D hologram. Because these videos are captured using volumetric video and AR technology, the artists can be made to appear at any angle and in varied sizes, and many chose to hold a mini artist in their hands, something they might find difficult in real life. Minutes after choosing between artists Alec Shaw, Zan Fiskum, Tomo Nakayama, or special guest Santa, concert goers received a digital copy of their own via text. Each video and photo is tagged with SMASH 2021: Songs of Hope Live and the AR links to the SMASH website to commemorate the night and to spread awareness for the excellent work the non-profit does. People generously donated hundreds of dollars at the booth, with 100% of the contributions going to SMASH.
The fun continues post the concert, as everyone globally has access to these Popins and can bring their favorites into their home. Simply click on the images to access a SMASH Popin. And check out our SMASH Photo Gallery to see more Popins pictures from the event.
Tomo Nakayama as Santa
Tomo Nakayama performing "Get To Know You"
Zan Fiskum performing "Lean In"
Alec Shaw performing "Nobody But You"
Santa
Sold-out 2018 and 2019 shows led to SMASH’s annual benefit concert being hailed as “one of Seattle’s best new concert traditions” by the Seattle Times in 2020. The highly anticipated live show included performances of a selection of songs from their virtual 2020 Songs of Hope benefit concert, as well as featuring new pairings. The performances coincided with a live silent auction featuring specially donated items from sponsors such as Sonos and Alaska Airlines.
“Music is the heartbeat of our region. It is a big part of what made Seattle and the surrounding region so desirable,” says SMASH co-founder and touring musician Ian Moore.
About SMASH
SMASH (Seattle Musicians Access to Sustainable Healthcare) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to keeping our music community healthy and thriving by providing access to primary care, dental services, mental health therapy, and vision and hearing screening and services for working musicians with limited incomes in the King, Snohomish, Pierce, Mason, Kitsap, and Thurston counties.
About Popins
Popins take entertainment to the next level by capturing real people in a studio from all angles with over fifty cameras and using proprietary streaming for delivery. The result is sometimes called a “hologram;” a three-dimensional AR video accessed via smart devices. With Popins, you can watch augmented reality, record what your phone sees, and even join in to create your own personal mix that you can share on your socials. Check out the How To Popin section of the Popins.io website for more information.
Recording in volumetric video is unique and is only possible in a handful of studios around the world. Here’s a link from the Popins artist who released the first music video you can own in June 2021, describing the oddity of performing live in a green room surrounded by dozens of cameras.
Popins is powered by Omnivor, the world leader in volumetric video streaming and an early T-Mobile Open Innovation Lab partner. Streaming enables users around the world to enjoy full songs or even full concerts as Popins, all without the necessity of downloading an app. No one else in the world has this capability.
Popins pair extraordinary artists with dynamic modern technology to create value for artists, fans, and collectors. With Popins, all the world is your stage.
Inquiries: info@popins.io Website: https://popins.io IG: @popinsdotio Twitter: @popinsdotio