Truthfully, from a Covid standpoint, we’re not quite out of the woods yet. However, due to a (mostly) successful national immunization program — currently more than 81% of Americans have received at least one vaccine — new cases and deaths from the virus have declined over the past months. This news was accompanied by easing of mask mandates and restrictions in many areas.
For example, last weekend I attended a play at a local performing arts center, which marked its first indoor production in two years. Meanwhile, concerts and festivals are showing up, hopefully marking a return to normalcy — but Covid still lurks with us. At press time, Justin Bieber cancelled / postponed five dates from his Justice world tour after he tested positive for Covid, and several key production people also came down with the virus. A similar scenario also recently happened with John Mayer, resulting in a number of cancelled / postponed dates from his 2022 Sob Rock tour. And when the artists can’t perform, there are a whole lot of people in the production chain that get sidelined, so some precautions are still necessary.
With that in mind, in his “On the Digital Edge” column this month, Steve La Cerra offers some advice on staying safe as we walk out on some thin ice during these Covid-prone days. And promoters have been understandably cautious about booking shows. However, if we ease carefully into this post-Covid phase, we can all be on the road again. And maybe in that sense, perhaps Willie Nelson expressed the sentiment of an entire industry, with these words:
“The life I love is makin’ music with my friends,
And I can’t wait to get on the road again.”
Let’s hope it happens, and meanwhile, stay safe!
Got a comment? Send George an email to george@fohonline.com
