Southwest Airlines is known for trying to inject fun into air travel, such as employees at an airport gate creating a spontaneous karaoke moment or a flight attendant turning a routine safety speech into stand-up comedy. The $20 billion company embraces an undeniable quirkiness, which is saying something for an airline. So it makes sense for Southwest to rely on the power of music to build its brand, sometimes in unexpected ways.

Since 2011, Southwest has featured surprise pop-up music performances on flights through a series known as Live at 35. The Live at 35 concerts give emerging artists such as Valerie June and Gavin DeGraw a chance to literally sing and strum their guitars in the aisles for whoever happens to be on a flight.

Live at 35 (#Liveat35) is part of a broader artist discovery program that includes efforts such as sponsorship of more conventional concerts in places such as Bryant Park in New York; and a website, southwest.fm, dedicated to sharing music content.

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