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Thanks to Live Nation, You May Soon Be “Attending” “Concerts” in Virtual Reality

VENICE, ITALY - SEPTEMBER 03: Visitors are seen watching selected scenes from the first ever feature length movie in Virtual Reality 'Jesus VR - The Story Of Christ' during the 73rd Venice Film Festival at Palazzo del Casino on September 3, 2016 in Venice, Italy. (Photo by Andreas Rentz/Getty Images)

Who doesn’t love live music? The energy, the crowds, the feel of soft carpet on your toes, cat litter scent wafting up from the basement and an elastic strap around your dome–it’s an experience unlike any other. This week, concert overlord Live Nation and Citi announced a partnership “concert series” that will be hosted via a virtual reality app. Soon, you’ll have the dystopian and convenient option of checking out a show without leaving your couch.

Details on the “concerts” are scant to the point of near-nonexistence. They will involve the “world’s biggest artists” and “backstage” experiences, according to information provided to Billboard, but who those artists are and when the concerts will happen is anyone’s guess. Will there be live shows that people can attend if they choose, or will the artists be playing to an empty room? Will the shows be broadcast live at all, or just glorified concert films pumped into our futuristic goggles?

So far, this seems like little more than a gimmick and a branding opportunity for Citi. But Live Nation is a huge, powerful company–it basically controls the big-ticket live music industry in America singlehandedly. If the experiment goes well, and they decide to pursue VR further, they could easily strong-arm the format into becoming an industry standard. Just think of all the commercials they’ll be able to squeeze in front of your eyeballs between songs. But hey, at least you won’t have to strain to see over someone standing in front of you.