#015: COVID-19, A Vaccine & The Return of Live Music

"Live music is the cure for what ails ya" — Henry Rollins

The COVID-19 pandemic has effected daily life in more ways than one could have imagined. One of the areas that has been hit the hardest has been live music and the performing arts. Recorded music can still reach the consumer through music streaming, but an industry that is dependent on people packing closely together to enjoy a show has gone totally dark. The fans of concerts, theater, opera or the orchestra have been deprived of much needed live entertainment. But the most impacted have been the artists, musicians and actors who have had their ability to earn a living and their passions ripped away from them. This is evident in a recent poll, which showed that “64 percent of UK musicians are considering leaving the industry” (1). For musicians and music venues, the damage is even more pronounced because they don’t have the philanthropic backing that so many theaters, operas and orchestras obtain. As Jenny Bilfield, CEO of Washington Performing Arts, states, “Philanthropy has always been a bigger piece of our revenue, so for organizations that rely very heavily upon transaction revenue — aka ticket sales — they will have a different response to [the crisis] than we do. We’re not maintaining a [concert venue that they own], so that gives us a certain amount of freedom” (2).

So where do we go from here? Some of the smallest venues, which typically also operate as a restaurant and/or bar, have been able to return to live music… in a very small way. In upstate new York, Julie and James Leone own 443 Social Club & Lounge and have been able to bring back live music. However, the regulations include “limiting their capacity to half of the maximum occupancy; appropriate social distancing among listeners, including customers and patrons, of at least 6 feet; additional distance of at least 12 feet from any singer’s tables must be spaced six feet apart; patrons should not be standing; staff wearing masks at all times; and appropriate cleaning and disinfection protocols set forth by the Department of Health” (3). The end result just isn’t the same experience for the musicians or the patrons. The other trend that has appeared since the onset of COVID-19 has been the drive-in concert. If executed properly, this can provide some entertainment for the live music fan - even if not the same - but financially there is no way to make a real business around drive-in events. So for better or worse (scratch that… worse), there is no clear path for the return of live music in a meaningful way until we have a vaccine (4).

Once we have the vaccine ready, we’re finally able to reschedule all of these cancelled tours and Coachella, right? Not so fast. A recent Gallup poll shows that “35% of Americans would not get a free, FDA-approved vaccine if ready today” (5). This is caused by a mixture of the anti-vaxxer movement and people who are concerned that the vaccine development was rushed — especially due to political pressure by President Trump. The people who are vaccinated would be protected and safe to attend a concert, but if 35%+ of the population isn’t willing to get the vaccine, nationwide herd immunity won’t be reached and isolated pockets of the virus will likely still exist. However, between the vaccine heavily reducing the number of cases and the increasing availability of rapid tests, it is reasonable to assume a direct path to the return of live music once the vaccine arrives; with the expectation that small venues will be able to resume operations before the arena tours and large music festivals.

Close your eyes and picture yourself standing center-stage at your favorite music venue or music festival. The smell of booze, weed and sweat in the air, with your favorite artist or band on the stage. All of life’s problems gone, even if just for an hour, as you enjoy the show. That day is coming and it will be a glorious day once it arrives. But it will then be on the music industry as a whole to learn from this experience and to put as many protections in place to protect our community for the future.

(1) Macdonald, Kyle. “64 Percent of UK Musicians Are Considering Leaving the Industry, Survey Finds.” Classic FM, Classic FM, 27 Aug. 2020, www.classicfm.com/music-news/coronavirus/musicians-leaving-industry-encore-survey/.
(2) Brunner, Rob. “A Path Forward for Live Music? Covid-19 and the Future of the DC Arts Scene.: Washingtonian (DC).” Washingtonian, 18 June 2020, www.washingtonian.com/2020/06/17/a-path-forward-for-live-music-covid-19-and-the-future-of-the-dc-arts-scene/.
(3) Huynh, Ngoc. “Reopening: Details Emerging for Return of Live Music at Restaurants, Bars in Upstate NY.” New York Upstate, 26 June 2020, www.newyorkupstate.com/coronavirus/2020/06/reopening-details-emerging-for-return-of-live-music-at-restaurants-bars-in-upstate-ny.html.
(4) Raphelson, Samantha. “German Experiment Tests How The Coronavirus Spreads At A Concert.” NPR, NPR, 24 Aug. 2020, www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2020/08/24/905534790/german-experiment-tests-how-coronavirus-spreads-at-a-concert.
(5) O'Keefe, Shannon Mullen. “One in Three Americans Would Not Get COVID-19 Vaccine.” Gallup.com, Gallup, 4 Sept. 2020, news.gallup.com/poll/317018/one-three-americans-not-covid-vaccine.aspx.

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JAY’S SONGS OF THE WEEK

VanJess - “Come Over”
AJR - “Bummerland”
Lil Durk - “The Voice”
JP Saxe - “A Little Bit Yours”
SZA - “Hit Different” (feat. Ty Dolla $ign & The Neptunes)
tobi lou - “Endorphins”