If you’re like me, the absence of attending concerts has absolutely ripped a hole in your heart and you crave the feeling when the artist first steps on stage and plays that first note. It has now almost been a full year since COVID-19 caused the country to shut down large public gatherings and for a while it was alright; we were saving money, valuing our personal space, finding other ways to spend our time but enough is enough! I want to be able to attend a concert and be squished between hundreds of strangers as my eardrums nearly rupture from the sound of music and the crowd cheering. It is absolutely crazy to think back to the good old days when we would all squish into a hot venue and just vibe with the strangers around us.
Though it will take a while, brighter days are ahead now that there are a few safe and effective vaccines being distributed. Everyone has undoubtedly been affected by the pandemic but the music industry took a huge hit and will continue until shows can start again. Venues, artists, management, promoters, booking agents, show crew, and several more individuals have taken the harsh financial hit with the loss of live music production. Recently, the industry has gotten some relief from the U.S. Government passing the Save Our Stages Act. This act was passed last month and will provide about $15 billion in relief to venues and theaters.
There has been talking of concerts returning in the latter half of 2021 and Dr. Fauci has agreed with these comments. He stated that it is dependent on the COVID-19 vaccine rollout. In an interview with the New York Times, Fauci stated that “by the time we get to the early to mid-fall, you can have people feeling safe performing onstage as well as people in the audience”. This quote refers to whether or not the vaccine rollout goes as planned.
With the recent news that there are more Americans vaccinated than the number of confirmed cases, this gives us some hope of being able to gather in large crowds before we reach 2022.