Vans brought their event space House Of Vans to Brooklyn, Chicago, LA, and Mexico City where they staged concerts and parties for creatives and music lovers alike. But since the pandemic has shut the spaces down for the foreseeable future, Vans has come up with a project to take House Of Vans’ place: Channel 66.
The company describes Channel 66 as “community radio meets public access TV” as it offers a home for daily scheduled livestreams. Japanese Breakfast is officially kicking off the broadcast with a set on Wednesday at 11 am EST. Madlib and Four Tet will follow the band’s lead, staging their own performance later at 3 pm.
Along with Japanese Breakfast and Madlib, musicians like Action Bronson, Vic Mensa, Denzel Curry, Nick Zinner, and Channel Tres have signed on to have DJ sets, curated radio shows, talks, workshops and performances. Since each city’s House Of Vans space is empty, the Brooklyn, Chicago, Mexico City, and LA locations will also serve as Channel 66 studio locations, opening an opportunity for artists across the country to showcase their talent.
In a statement about the new streaming project, Vans said they are committed to providing a virtual space for artists to gather: “Channel 66 is an embodiment of Vans’ commitment to support artists and creatives while also uplifting communities during such an unprecedented time. The COVID-19 pandemic has forever altered the events landscape and Vans has a deep history of reimagining event experiences and grassroots programs.”
Japanese Breakfast kicks off Channel 66 at 11 am EST. Tune in here.