Rob Thomas, frontman of the late-’90s alternative rock group Matchbox 20, is bringing a whole new level of technology to his backstage meet-and-greets — one which doesn’t even require him to be there.
That’s because VIP ticket holders who attend one of his upcoming summer shows will be able to sing karaoke with his hologram, courtesy of new technology provided to the musician by social augmented reality company Vntana. The hologram takes place inside a booth, where fans can pick between three of Thomas’ songs, and sing them while looking at a miniature video of them singing together with their idol on a screen in front of them.
“Selfies, photos and videos … that’s all so five minutes ago. Come to the future with me, come sing with me,” beckons a mini hologram of Thomas from a TV screen when the hologram booth senses a user is near.
“The hologram looks fantastic and it comes out so realistic,” Thomas said to Billboard of his quirky new show addition. “When you do it you get an email which will let you watch it on your phone or computer which will literally look like the two of us are standing there actually singing together.”
Fans can pick between three of Thomas’ songs for their hologram singalong session: Pieces, One Shot, or This is How a Heart Breaks.
Thomas has been on the cutting edge of technology in music for some time now. He was the first artist to give away USB wristbands to those who attended his concerts, providing a live recording of the show that each attendee just heard.
Those who wish to see the singer’s interesting new digital project can check out tour dates for this summer, which will be with fellow alt-rockers Counting Crows. VIP packages which include Karaoke can be purchased online.
