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Watch the first ever YouTube Live 360 performance with D∆WN

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When I spoke to Dawn Richard at SXSW last month, our conversation inevitably went toward the ever-widening overlap between tech and music. "Interactive media is something that I really, really enjoy," she told me. "I love trying to touch fans visually in different ways." And it shows — If you've checked out her work, you know she's always pushing toward the edges of what she can do musically and visually while still maintaining total independence as an artist. There is something pretty inspiring about about the level and technicality of her ambition.

So when YouTube came to The Verge mere weeks later, asking us to bring on an artist for the premiere performance on their Live 360 platform, the choice was a no-brainer. And today at 5PM PT, D∆WN will be the first musician ever to perform live on 360-streaming video, below. Or if you're on a mobile device, click here.

After the show, I'll be hosting a live Q&A with Dawn where I'll take your questions from the live stream chat. It turns out that putting together a live performance for the 360 format is a lot more complicated than just getting on a stage and switching on a GoPro rig. But having dropped by the set at YouTube Space LA yesterday, I can tell you that Dawn and her director Monty Marsh are thinking this thing through from the ground up. "I think we can really come into a place where music, tech and even film have a way better marriage than what we have right now," she told me back in March. You'll have to tune in later today to see the vow renewal for yourself.

Still prefer analog? If you're in the LA area, you can come see the show with your own two eyes — the original Live 360 platform.

  • Where: YouTube Space Los Angeles, 12422 Bluff Creek Dr., Los Angeles, CA 90094
  • When: April 20th, 2016
  • What time: doors open at 4PM PT; performance begins at 5PM PT
  • Event rules and conditions