The Legend of YouTube

John Legend headlined the YouTube free show

There is no question that YouTube has had a tremendous impact on many aspects of our lives. And nowhere is that impact more noticeable than in the music industry. YouTube videos now accompany the release of every major artist on every record label.

But YouTube also allows artists to bypass the recording industry altogether and deliver their creations directly to viewers. Sometimes, those self produced videos become viral, allowing the artist to achieve almost overnight success.

Last night, the Kennedy Center hosted a YouTube Live OnStage concert to celebrate 9 years of video making.

The free concert was headlined by John Legend, who performed a half-dozen-song mini-set for the wildly appreciative crowd, which filled the concert hall and overflowed into the huge hall where they watched the show on giant screens usually employed during the daily Millennium Stage shows.

Legend, who closed the 2-hour performance was the obvious star, but the crowd demonstrated a lot of enthusiasm for several other artists who came to public view and popularity through YouTube.

Here are some videos of the night's performances:

Post Modern Jukebox "Medley"

"Clouds" by Zach Solech performed by members of the Playing for Change band

"Gimme Shelter" by The Playing for Change Band

"Beyond the Veil" by Lindsey Stirling

"You and I" by John Legend

John Legend w/Lindsey Stirling "All of Me"

A Prices Do DC Extra Track

YouTube sensation Lindsey Stirling

YouTube threw itself a big birthday bash at the Kennedy Center on Wednesday to celebrate nine years of making crazy online videos. The show featured singer John Legend, as well as several successful dance and music artists who got their start on the video-sharing site.

Ahead of the show, violinist Lindsey Stirling chatted with The Switch's Hayley Tsukayama to talk about her career, her fans and how using YouTube gave her a way to break into a tough industry. Stirling, who first came onto the national stage in 2010 by reaching the quarter-finals of "America's Got Talent," now has 4.8 million subscribers on YouTube and just released a new album, "Shatter Me."

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

To read the interview with Stirling, which 1st appeared in The Washington Post, click here.