From the T.S.A. to the Coachella festival, from your local supermarket to your local music club, mask and vaccination mandates continue to fall across the country, in the face of all credible scientific evidence that yet another coronavirus surge is not only taking place, but raging. Given that, it is not surprising that touring music artists are continuing to postpone dates as bandmembers or crew test positive for COVID-19.
While no definitive figures exist, all one needs to do is look at social media to see dozens of postponed or canceled concerts or tours due to someone in the artist’s party testing positive. That has been the case since touring began to return in earnest last summer, but there’s little question that the situation has grown worse in recent weeks — as noted in robustly reported articles from Pitchfork and the New York Times to musician Damon Krukowski’s “Dada Drummer” substack and, sadly, comments from countless artists, particularly Low and Superchunk, who have been forced to postpone dates. And in the wake of last weekend’s Coachella festival — the largest music festival in North America — it remains to be seen how many artists will have to cancel appearances at the second of the two-weekend event.
Some musicians have gone so far as to demand if not beg their audiences to mask up. “I am not a big band,” indie musician Sasami tweeted earlier this year. “If we get COVID and have to cancel shows I’m fully FUCKED. If you love me at all, please wear a mask and buy merch so we can keep touring.” At a Sparks concert in New York’s Town Hall earlier this month, the band insisted that the audience wear masks — most if not all members did, but that was a Sparks audience in New York. It’s hard to imagine a similar scenario with many other artists or parts of the country.
Hey-O! We got it! COVID positive tests coming up in both bands. Shit.
We have to cancel Davenport tonight and Madison tomorrow.
Honestly, surprised the tour lasted this long.
Thank you for masking, y’all.
Wear a mask at shows!!! Please!
Back out in two weeks.
