KITCHENER -- A virtual pilot project has transformed to an online performance with a worldwide audience.
The Virtual Concert Reality, or VCR, has gone from one headliner to featuring several performers from all over Canada.
Fourteen-year-old Peyton Garcia wrote a lot of music when the pandemic hit.
"Without COVID, I probably wouldn't be doing that, I'd probably be playing sports with my friends, or doing something else and not writing songs," Garcia said.
Garcia's songs caught the attention of a new video production team called Live City.
"They offered him his own show, they wanted him to be kind of the guinea pig for this new immersive concert system," said Jamie Hodgins, creative director of VCR.
Within a couple of months, Garcia headlined VCR's first event in February. The show garnered attention from across the world.
"We had producers from 'America's Got Talent' reaching out wanting to work some of our artists, and we got people signed to talent agencies, people cast to big Netflix movies," Hodgins said. "It was unreal. So we thought, why not do it again and make it bigger and better."
VCR Two will air this weekend and includes solo artists, dancers and performers, including KW Glee.
"They're the closing number of our show," Hodgins said.
The show for teens, by teens has helped people feel stronger together.
"We all learned something from each other and we all just got to be one big family," artist Arielle Abracido said.
"It's distracted me from a lot of things that have made me stressed out," Carter Leynes said.
Garcia was thankful for the virtual venue showcasing young Canadian talent.
"IF COVID wasn't a thing, I doubt that any of this would have happened," Garcia said.
The next show is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Saturday.
