Iranian Music Scenes in the United States: Diasporic Encounters and Politics beyond Social Media

Iranian musicians, finding themselves between authoritarian rule and politically fragmented, sometimes urgent audiences, employ a range of artistic and entrepreneurial strategies to navigate these complexities. Concerts abroad, while an important source of income and prestige, also provide opportunities to strengthen personal connections across borders and rebuild the intimacy that may be diminished amid social media conflicts. This ethnographic research examines how interactions between Iranian musicians and their diaspora audiences in live performances in the U.S. reflect these political dynamics and how they differ from or resemble those in virtual spaces, as well as in their homeland.