Macworld All-Star Band Reunites for Musicians’ COVID Relief Fund

Thumbnails of the Macworld All-Star Band, reuniting during the pandemic

Macworld All-Star Band Reunites for Musicians’ COVID Relief Fund

The Macworld All-Star Band, best known for their appearances at the now-defunct Macworld Conference & Expo, reunited for a virtual performance of “Feelin’ Alright” this month.

The video is available at macworldallstarband.com and fans, critics, viewers, and passers-by are invited to make a donation to the MusiCares COVID Relief Fund via a link on the site.

The Macworld All-Star Band consists of well-and-lesser-well-known Apple journalists and industry personalities:

  • Christopher Breen: Keyboard, vocals
  • Bryan Chaffin: Guitar, vocals
  • Dave Hamilton: Percussion, vocals
  • Paul Kent: Guitar, vocals
  • Chuck La Tournous: Bass, vocals
  • Bob “Dr. Mac” LeVitus: Guitar, vocals
  • Duane Straub: Bass, vocals

The idea for the virtual reunion came from another Mac-community figure, Terry Austin, who suggested it to Dave Hamilton, who ran with the idea. Of course, the band embraced the project instantly.

All instruments and vocal parts were recorded in place in New Hampshire, Missouri, Texas, and California. Then, Dave and his daughter Skylar took on audio mixing duties, while longtime MWASB videographer Wally Cherwinski handled post-production.

The Macworld All-Star Band was formed from an idea by Ilene Hoffman and began performing at various venues during Macworld Conference & Expo beginning in 2001. The band grew in popularity and eventually became the centerpiece of “Cirque du Mac,” an invitation-only party hosted by us here at The Mac Observer and BackBeat Media. In 2014, the band performed live at the Mac 30th Celebration at the Flint Center in Cupertino California, commemorating the 30th anniversary of the introduction of the Macintosh.

Their final performance was at the last-ever Macworld/iWorld conference later that year.

The “Feelin’ Alright” video was recorded and produced in June 2020.

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