Rolling festival / tour / concert / event cancellations due to COVID-19 thread

Post all festival and tour cancellations here. Feel free to also post cancellations of film festivals, conferences, art exhibits, readings, and anything else art or music related. At the very least, it might help those who've already secured event tickets, plane fare, hotels, or babysitters make alternate plans.

So far:

SXSW
Coachella (postponed?)
Big Ears

Heard a few rumors about some bands cancelling upcoming tours but as none of it is official or public yet, I'll wait to post those for now.

I don't really know how touring works. Does anyone know if it is more likely to be clubs and promoters cancelling dates or the artists themselves? If the former, how will small venues survive potentially 6 months (or more) of quarantine? I realize there are bigger fish to fry at the moment but this is likely to be potentially devastating to a lot of people we probably all know.

Bunch of DC venues are suspending all their remaining shows for March: https://wtop.com/entertainment/2020/03/imp-postpones-events-at-930-club-the-anthem-lincoln-theatre/

The rest of Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo, which features some of the biggest Country shows around (amongst other stuff--Lizzo was gonna do homecoming show on Friday) was cancelled today.

sort of hoping drive by truckers cancel this weekend so I don't have to make the decision n myself.

Dark Mofo, a nationally prominent music'n'arts festival in Hobart, Tasmania: https://darkmofo.net.au/statement

All gigs with audience larger than 250 are banned in Washington state. Todd Barry and Bikini Kill shows axed in the next few days.

I don't really know how touring works. Does anyone know if it is more likely to be clubs and promoters cancelling dates or the artists themselves?

For non-USA artists, Coachella and SXSW are big tentpole festivals that tours are based around - a spot on Coachella pays enough to make the visa expenses (a massively huge up front expense) worth it to make up for the tight margins for other gigs. Altin Gün and Anna Calvi both had some US dates around Coachella - Altin Gün cancelled everything yesterday, Calvi presumably will shortly (which is frustrating because Calvi had postponed her US shows last year because she got the Coachella gig)

Canadian comics arts festivals as yet uncancelled, by request of health authorities: http://www2.vancaf.com/2020/03/11/update-to-the-comics-community-regarding-covid-19-from-tcaf-and-vancaf/

NAB and E3 conferences cancelled
https://e3expo.com
https://news3lv.com/news/local/national-association-of-broadcasters-conference-in-las-vegas-postponed

Pixies have cancelled the rest of their Aussie tour after someone at a festival they headlined tested positive. (Also 12,000 people at that festival so it will be way more than 1)

A list of cancellations.

https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/every-coronavirus-cancellation-adam-sandler-000222436.html

Stereolab canceled the China/Japan/Philippines leg of their tour a few days ago.

What makes me sad is that two good friends who were in separate amateur theatrical productions had their shows cancelled after rehearsals for months.

One just moved out of state and had no friends and had just been through a fairly traumatic ordeal a year earlier and this project was helping her feel better about things. Now she's crushed.

Other friend going through a bad depression bout and it was having a similar positive effect on her.

Both get why it needed to be done but it's rough.

We're determining if the 2020 Orlando Fringe will happen now. It's in May, but i am not optimistic. We're in rehearsals

https://pitchfork.com/news/coronavirus-updated-list-of-tours-and-festivals-canceled-or-postponed-due-to-covid-19/

TMBG rescheduled the rest of their tour for the fall

https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/what-happens-when-a-music-festival-is-canceled-due-to-coronavirus/

"Artists will surely be counting on fans’ support even more than usual, perhaps through non-concert avenues like merch sales."

lol what

First date of the Van der Graaf Generator tour (Athens, 28 March) cancelled, with probably more cancellations to come.

Yes just pulled out of their 'Cruise To The Edge' in Miami and some early tour dates, gigs are one thing but a Prog cruise with loads of old dudes all trying to shake yer hand is just asking for trouble.

And as the elders beat their brows
They know that it's really far too late now
To stop us
For if the sky is seeded death
What is the point in catching breath?
Expel it
What cause is there left but to die?

The Revealing Science of Pence

Torche have pulled out of their Euro tour so no Roadburn appearance, dunno if that festival can even go ahead if all the American doomsters self-isolate.

Hi there

We're very sorry to announce that due to travel issues relating to the coronavirus, The Dead C have unfortunately had to cancel their forthcoming tour, including the residency dates at OTO in May.

We're working to reschedule this residency as soon as we can. The current situation is obviously a little uncertain concerning travel but we'll let you know details of the new dates as soon as we have them - all originally bought tickets will remain valid.

In the meantime, if anybody wants their tickets refunded we will of course be happy to do so - just give us a shout if that's the case.

All the best,
Cafe OTO

newsletter about how the virus is gonna affect the music industry

https://musicxcorona.substack.com/

Pop Conference, in which music writers, academics and ilx0rs gather annually to listen to each other read jokes and essays about music for three days, has been postponed from late April to TBD, maybe September.

https://www.mopop.org/programs-plus-education/programs/pop-conference/

The Grand Illusion, a 70-seat volunteer-run arthouse cinema in Seattle, is closed until TBD, maybe April. (They had an 24-film A24 retrospective including several on 35mm scheduled for April, which one might expect to have paid the bills for a few months of Soviet and Romanian flicks)

The Juno Awards and a corresponding week of live events in Saskatoon have been cancelled in full.

Finally some good news

Well, my gig in London with my drone 'supergroup' at the end of this month (our first ever) has been cancelled, bah. Probably not a great loss to culture but still gutted.

RRHoF induction ceremony postponed.

Take that, Trent

http://cultureaidnyc.com/resources-2/
https://www.ncaper.org/
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1htY4q6Aq2cg1OU7p2Q6i9x8EZy-aOxgLooUp6kgxZzw/preview?mc_cid=b4bd785659&mc_eid=15cfd7b5a8

XP Countdown to the revelation that has all been an elaborate trolling of The Doobie Brothers.

ah, Lollapalooza Chile has been suspended.

for all those waiting to hear.

Live Nation pulling all its tours off the road:

https://www.billboard.com/articles/business/touring/9333748/live-nation-global-pause-tours-concerts-coronavirus

that's the ball game, really.

NYC is shutting down anything over 500 people and has ominous and unclear plans to restrict smaller gatherings. It's gonna be a rough few months.

Am I right in thinking that for any show scheduled between now and June that this is not an 'if' but a 'when' situation at this point re: canceling? I mean, at some point very soon anyone going forward with events is going to look reckless and arrogant, right?

bowery n mercury close tomorrow

Punk/industrial band L.O.T.I.O.N. just pulled their European tour

Fennesz (who is here right now) just canceled the rest of his US tour.

I called the Blue Note jazz club an hour or so ago to verify whether the Christian Scott show I was planning to see tomorrow night was still happening. They told me it was, but that was before NY Governor Cuomo announced that gatherings of 500+ were banned, and gatherings below that number would have to reduce their attendance by 50%. (The Blue Note holds ~150 people.) I just emailed the publicist to take me off the guest list.

Yes just pulled out of their 'Cruise To The Edge' in Miami and some early tour dates, gigs are one thing but a Prog cruise with loads of old dudes all trying to shake yer hand is just asking for trouble.

― Maresn3st, Thursday, March 12, 2020 7:33 AM (seven hours ago) bookmarkflaglink

covid or no i get an anxiety attack even thinking about this

Horse Lords tour just canceled

Decibel Magazine Tour canceled

been spending the last week and half postponing a west coast tour that was to begin next week, and I can't tell you how hard it was. by march 1st it was clear to me the shows were not a good idea, but it took a week for the rest of the band to stop weighing the situation (varying degrees of financial hardship incurred), and even this weekend we kept getting feedback like 'all commercial venues still expecting you, smaller & mid-sized concerts still safe'. and I'd look at that text, then look at Italy expanding it's quarantine, and crunch the numbers and see SF at 10-14 days behind Italy

no one wants to over-react, but until better data starts coming in, we no longer know what over-reaction is. flattening the curve means social distancing for... twelve months? unthinkable, as recently as last week.

silver lining, I had a ton of concert and festival tickets that I'm about to get refunds on, so unexpected influx of cash to pay my taxes with.

First postponement for a ticket I held: Even As We Speak have deferred all their UK shows. 🙁 The postponement of Cologne Popfest makes the remaining dates no longer viable. Plus who knows what may transpire in next two weeks. Full statement on their Facebook page.

Decibel Metal and Beer Fest postponed but not cancelled.

xp ah I was thinking of going to see EAWS in London soon, OTOH gigs are kind of painful for me at the moment and I already have one coming up so probably not so bad

Guessing Limpe Fuchs on Saturday night in London will have less than 500 people in attendance so I may go, then again it only takes one carrier doesn't it

Nice post by Big Thief
#hippies

Yes' 'Cruise To The Edge' now postponed, Curved Air fans in apoplexy.

Is it any use me doing a sort of 'punter's pledge' saying I won't claim refunds on any cancelled upcoming shows I have tickets for?

Big list of global cancellations at the Graun:

https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2020/mar/13/coronavirus-culture-arts-films-gigs-festivals-cancellations

Record Store Day bumped to June.

Well at least something good came from this

Yes, take that, already-teetering-on-the-brink-of-bankruptcy indie record stores hoping this event will help cover their rent for six months

I do hate that indie shops are going to suffer, absolutely, but this just underscores how absolutely stupid and short-sighted it was to turn the entire record store industry into two days a year worth of exclusives that essentially exist only for flippers.

Seattle libraries had already cancelled programming and author events for March; as of 6pm all libraries are going to close for at least a month. This is going to have a major impact on homeless patrons: it's 3°C with snow mixing with rain today, and sub-zero night temperatures forecast over the next five days.

Some cinemas and rock venues are staying open but selling 50% of capacity for now; two seats-and-tables jazz venues are closing down for the month.

record store day is a farce and fuck it

more Seattle venues and nightclubs on staying open / closing down

https://www.thestranger.com/slog/2020/03/11/43118987/seattle-music-venues-respond-to-the-new-social-distancing-rules

I do hate that indie shops are going to suffer, absolutely, but this just underscores how absolutely stupid and short-sighted it was to turn the entire record store industry into two days a year worth of exclusives that essentially exist only for flippers.

― soaring skrrrtpeggios (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Friday, March 13, 2020 5:07 PM (nineteen minutes ago) bookmarkflaglink

The windfall is not from the limited edition junk, though, but from the tremendous amount of non-RSD store stock sold when people inevitably bundle used items with new. RSD is lame and probably a pain in the ass for most stores, but I don't think you'll find a single remaining shop owner who doesn't count on that day in a big way to stay afloat. But yeah, fuck it, viva la spotify

shut the fuck up

Dude, I didn't say fuck record stores. At all. I'm glad the day helps them! At the same time, I think it's clearly dangerous that it has evolved into the two days that force record stores to survive. And the stupid exclusives list is a big part of why it evolved in this direction.

(botched my wording there, meant to say "two days that solely allow" them to survive)

https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2020-03-13/coronavirus-live-nation-aeg-concert-industry

I was so looking forward to seeing Wire tonight. Cancelled in Boston/Cambridge.

Strange.

was excited to see shellac tomorrow but i imagine it's going to get cancelled. even if it weren't i don't know if i'd go. do the right thing, steve, and turn that PT cruiser back towards chicago...

At this point maybe we should just list the shows that are still on

Corey Haim - solo theramin

shit I actually forgot he had died.

Apparently Shellac is actually still playing tonight in Madison.

Pro-Pain are defiantly insisting they're starting their US tour.

I guess there's no chance of 250 people giving a fuck about Pro-Pain in 2020

in the entire US

shellac cancelled mpls finally. slightly bummed but i don't think it would have been fun anyway

No specific need to update this thread now that everything except Reverend Horton Heat shows are cancelled, but the axing of Melbourne International Comedy Festival is going to bankrupt dozens or hundreds of people in one go.

The Exploited also taking a defiant stance: https://ultimateclassicrock.com/reverend-horton-heat-exploited-coronavirus/

punk's gonna die

Can’t stop the blues: https://variety.com/2020/music/news/blues-awards-canceled-replaced-by-webcasts-1203540420/

Welcome to Rockville cancelled

Maryland Deathfest lineup moved to 2021

brutal year for music

That ucr link upthread is funny, suggesting at a glance the Reverend Horton Heat was exploiting the virus.

Anyone watching #IHeartConcertOnFOX right now?

Dead Can Dance officially pushed their Americas tour to 2021, was just a matter of time

I saw Billie Eilish with her brother. They killed it like you would expect. This is sort of neat

I would have been seeing The 1975 in two weeks for the first time

Demi Lovato looks healthy, good for her

Mariah was a great closer*

(*my autocorrect initially made this “cougar”)

I'm listening to/watching Keiji Haino doing an organ grinder performance at Zebulon from last year. Streaming only, I think.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sk6y2OnhwUo&feature=youtu.be

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sk6y2OnhwUo&feature=youtu.be

Ah well.

R.I.P. Alan Merrill (of the Arrows, etc.), who co-wrote "I Love Rock 'N' Roll": https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-52089768

Is his tour still going ahead, though?

guilty lol

Posted this in the wrong thread, but primavera sound are still insisting they are going ahead, just postponed till... summer. In fucking barcelona.

xxp I’m resisting the idea of creating a separate thread for music-related COVID deaths; think this one will do as a catch-all (and can hopefully soon be retired).

probably best to confine to the standard RIP thread for a multitude of reasons (easier searching, extant need filled, we don't need another COVID thread polluting answers for people who are having a hard time dealing)
Rolling Obituary Thread: 2020

Thanks, I’ll just refrain from posting obits then, rather than be forced to visit ILE.

There is also a "famous sick and dead ppl Covid cases" thread on ILE you could bookmark and thus use without returning to the board - I'm avoiding it so can't link.

Rolling COVID-19 Notably Infected and/or Fallen Thread

It's looking like mid-Fall is the new target for getting touring/large-ish shows going again? The big area indie venue has started announcing shows for then, including a rescheduled date w/a noted ilxor.

Said ilxor being Esteban Buttez of course.

I should clarify this is in America. Ymmv.

seems like too soon, there's zero chance I go to a concert or even a half-empty bar until I've got a positive antibody test or been vaccinated and I can't see either of those things being available (to me anyway) by October

Psycho Las Vegas is in August and already moved back a year

Big Thief just canceled the rest of their shows for the year... their Hollywood show in August was my only one on the books.

I noticed in that great Vulture interview w/Hayley Williams that her small venue tour has been bumped to next year.

NY Philharmonic cancelled through 2021.

I'm seeing notices online that a handful of local venues are starting to go forward with small stakes shows (tribute bands, local performers) later this month.

https://variety.com/2020/music/news/music-venues-foresee-permanent-closure-1234629793/

The Metropolitan Opera already cancelled through the end of the year too.

Yeah, we just lost Barracuda, where I saw LPD and Ex Hex (among others) last year... gonna miss that place. Don't want to think about what things will look like a year from now for live music venues in Austin.

this is what i do for a living so you can imagine how i feel

Lollapalooza in Chicago was finally officially canceled this week.

I miss live music so much that I've resorted to doing what I did when i was in college and couldn't afford to go to any.... watching live vids.

ACL Fest cancelled.

"torn", surely

VMS Live venues the Welly and the Polar Bear shut their doors for good, as do Manchester's Gorilla and Deaf Institute

https://www.iq-mag.net/2020/07/two-vms-live-companies-enter-administration/

The Satellite / Spacelab in LA is converting to a gastropub after 25 years as a live venue, and Re-Bar in Seattle (mainly a DJ and drag and theatre and weirdo gay video arts, but some live music) has been forced out of one of the only remaining single-story buildings downtown, after 30 years - their neighbour in the building is a sandwich shop that opened in 1948. Nirvana held the Nevermind launch party there, and got kicked out for trying to get in the DJ booth.

So it would appear that all the festivals are more or less back in force, with a few new additions. Different requirements for the ones I've seen, though (besides the standing requirement that they all feature the same bands). Pitchfork requires proof of vaccination or negative test *and* a mask, iirc, Lollapalooza requires proof of vaccination or negative test, *or* a mask. I think Bonnaroo is masks required (but no proof of vaccination or negative test). Riot Fest says "full compliance with local and state regulations regarding health screenings and mask mandates," which is non committal and probably takes into account that things may change again before September, anyway.

Anyone that goes to one of these things unvaxxed is crazy. At the same time, most of these things suck so much in the best of circumstances, I can only imagine what it will be like to hang packed in with the great unwashed for hours on end in the summer *with* a mask on (like they'll even be able to enforce them anyway). Though at the least the mask might help with the dust and stink.

JazzFest again this year.

More to follow?

Wise elder statesmen of rock Limp Bizkit have cancelled their summer tour. I think this bodes poorly for the future of live music this year.

The safety of our patrons and staff is our number one priority. As such a full COVID-19 vaccination or negative COVID-19 test will be required to attend Bonnaroo 2021. pic.twitter.com/KnwCJWaNf4

— Bonnaroo (@Bonnaroo) August 10, 2021

Btw, the comments there are kind of illuminating. Not too much pushback that I saw, but a lot of fascinating ignorance. Like, people complaining there is not enough time to get both doses of Pfizer or Moderna before the festival ... but they've literally had months and months to get vaccinated, so is this really, finally all it took? Or people asking, because J&J is all that's left as a wannabe fully-vaxxed option, what the difference is between it and the other two. Really? Where have you all been?

Limp cancelled cos Wes fell ill

Where have you all been?

1. partying
2. in states where communities and governments actively work towards making that kind of info hard to access

It boggles the mind, we carry supercomputers with all the information in the world on it in our goddam pockets. So, sure, partying, I guess.

but they've literally had months and months to get vaccinated, so is this really, finally all it took?

For some, it's an empanada. For some, it's the opportunity to see tha Bizk'. But what unites them is a lack of self-care or concern for their loved ones.

we carry supercomputers with all the information in the world on it in our goddam pockets

yes, but also all the misinformation in the world

Though I do love the idea of Bonnaroo bros partying so hard they don't even know we're in the midst of a pandemic. They're probably wondering why there's been a two year gap between sets.

perhaps they thought Sleep was playing Dopesmoker

Except they are also going with the 72 hour negative test result (same as Lolla) which, iirc, has been noted as way too long.

They really should just require proof of vax, period.

Seriously. I don't get the negative test result shit. Okay, I'm sure this individual who's still unvaccinated in August of 2021 has made nothing but responsible choices in the 72 hours since they tested negative, right on.

Maybe they've just had covid a lot so assume they are very immune.

They really should just require proof of vax, period.

I wish!

Seriously. I don't get the negative test result shit. Okay, I'm sure this individual who's still unvaccinated in August of 2021 has made nothing but responsible choices in the 72 hours since they tested negative, right on.

Not even that! It's "lucked out enough to not be positive on that specific date" but I highly doubt someone still unvaccinated at this point is going to sit patiently at home for those 72 hours pre-show. Of course they will be out and mixing with people and potentially getting infected.

They're even offering testing on site, if you really want to test your luck.

After 18 months of full denial i have finally come round to the we are all going to get it eventually, probably several times point of view as it just seems sadly inevitable. it is now endemic in the UK, the whole country is fully open and i'm pretty sure there will be no turning back now. i am burning through the lateral flow tests at a crazy rate and am fairly sure i'll catch it in the not too imminent future.

do US folks here intend to avoid gigs etc for the foreseeable future?

I've got tickets for a big outdoor show in mid-September, bought during that flush of hope early this summer when it seemed like we might be turning a corner. It might end up being a last minute decision on whether I go or not, currently leaning towards going and masked, but I don't know.

Same. Tickets for my show (medium-sized venue, also mid-Sept.) were initially seated and socially-distanced and I wasn't planning to go, but then they switched it up to general admission and I bought them, ostensibly have people coming to stay with us from out of town to see said show, all or some or none of which might ultimately happen. Like everything else, it's just a matter of playing it by ear minute-to-minute based on whatever little snatches of seemingly-reliable information we can grab from the ether. It's goddamn exhausting.

do US folks here intend to avoid gigs etc for the foreseeable future?

Still debating. My first ticketed shows aren't until the end of September, and I am waiting to see what things are like much closer to the time.

until further notice i'm seeing phish on saturday. idk

Until my kids can be vaccinated, I would feel irresponsible going to a big gathering. If I were single, or lived in a household with all healthy/vaxxed people (who were ok with it), I might go to a gig... at least outdoors?

I've got tickets to two concerts in the coming months.

do US folks here intend to avoid gigs etc for the foreseeable future?

Two weeks ago, El Vez and Digable Planets played an open-air plaza downtown in daylight, which was the first music I’ve seen since Feb 2020. I don’t intend to attend any indoor shows in 2021, and may not see anything else outdoors unless it’s as small as those.

Stevie Nicks has cancelled all of her 2021 shows, including several festival performances.

And so the pushback begins?

Tomorrow's @JasonIsbell and the 400 Unit show at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion in Houston, TX is CANCELLED. Unfortunately, the venue was not willing to comply with the band's updated Health and Safety standards. (1/2)

— Southeastern Records (@SoutheasternRec) August 10, 2021

I really would like to know how well that show sold in the first place. The venue is a 20000 seat summer shed tied to LiveNation and the city of the Woodlands (a big semi-upper class suburb of Houston).

I'd be willing to bet that it was the city that balked at Isbell's demands: it's a bit of a GOP stronghold, and they probably would have been responsible for checking out the attendees (ticket-takers, concessions etc. are all handled by volunteers from the community).

https://www.houstonpress.com/music/jason-isbell-show-in-the-woodlands-cancelled-11701965

"The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion fully supports and commends Jason Isbell and his team for their commitment to the health of their fans, crew, band and venue staff. We are on on the same page here and we agree with what Jason Isbell would like to implement, but there is a timing issue," wrote Jerry MacDonald, president & CEO of The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion.

"To implement a major change in policy such as what is requested will take more time than we have," MacDonald wrote.

The pavilion statement is false. Live Nation, the promoter, was on board but the venue owner flat-out refused to even attempt to implement the policy. https://t.co/iGlfTTLYsV

— Jason Isbell (@JasonIsbell) August 11, 2021

It’s been great to watch Jason fight the good fight here and not back down, even with some of the shit he’s been getting from some of his “fans”. Also good on him to put his money where his mouth is on this and just let the show go.

I feel for the dedicated, vaccinated Isbell fans in the area that will miss this, but I have a feeling his true fans aren’t going to blame him too much.

Oh, he'll be back, and at a less douchy venue to boot. As I said, the venue's "staff" are all volunteers, many of them teens or seniors. This was just not going to work.

Also… of course…

Yes, Sally McDonald is the daughter of the Houston venue owner I was referring to. She prolly shoulda said that! https://t.co/jW2jSs7dM2

— Jason Isbell (@JasonIsbell) August 11, 2021

In other Isbell news, his DFW show has changed venues.

👏The Woodlands 👏 is 👏 not 👏 Houston!👏 No lie, they had to shut down their Walmart over the weekend due to. COVID outbreak. Antivax, anti mask idiots

— Chris Egan (@cpegan70) August 11, 2021

weird hill to die on, there.

i mean it's literally just outside of Houston, I've been there for work and my friend runs security at that pavilion.

can’t believe cpegan70 is sacrificing his reputation on this

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-country/jason-isbell-covid-vaccine-required-1210914/

So what happened in Houston? The venue is saying there wasn’t enough time to implement your Covid policy.

They were unwilling to implement what we had requested. And it’s not the kind of thing we’re going to compromise. The compromise is the negative test. That’s for people who can’t get the vaccine, and also for people who just won’t get the vaccine. As long as they can show up with a 72-hour negative test, we’ll let them in. And in my mind, that’s not everything that we could do. We could cancel all the shows and go home. But we made this decision, and we’re going to stick by it. We’re not going to compromise any farther beyond the negative test. I think anything other than that would be extremely irresponsible on our part.

As for the idea that they didn’t have enough time to implement it, how long has Covid been around? How long have these venues known that this kind of thing was going to happen? What did they think was going to happen when the vaccines rolled out? You know, I started to trademark the name “The Antibody Bar” about a year ago, because I thought, “Man, one day we’re going to need a bar where people who have viral antibodies can come and hang out.” I even emailed my lawyer and he said, “Yes, we can do that.” But I thought, you know what, that would be taking advantage of a bad situation, so I didn’t do it. But that goes to show you that we knew this was coming. People had plenty of time to prepare. So that excuse, I think, looks pretty hollow to anybody.

You were supposed to play Panther Island Pavilion in Fort Worth this Friday, and the show was moved to another venue, Billy Bob’s. Why did that change?

Normally, what we’re looking at are venues that are large, outdoor venues that receive some funding from the state. Their fear is that, as (Texas Governor) Abbott has threatened, the state is going to withhold funding from the venues that allow artists to put Covid restrictions in place. I don’t think Billy Bob’s needs Texas’s money, because Billy Bob’s got Billy Bob’s money. So capitalism stepped up and said, “Hey, we’ll take the money.” I think of Billy Bob’s in Hank Williams, Jr.’s voice: “I’ll take your money. I’ll make your movies. I’ll tell you right now, I was born to boogie.” I think Billy Bob’s Texas was born to boogie. They don’t need Texas state funding, so they have no problem hosting the show there. I’m excited about it, because my bass player Jimbo told me the other day that his dad, who has since passed away, told him a long time ago, “Son, since you’re out there touring, one day you got to go to Billy Bob’s Texas. It is the greatest place on Earth.”

Why specifically are you drawing this line and refusing to play venues that won’t honor your vaccination or negative-test policy?

Because I don’t feel right onstage while I think people might be getting deathly ill in the crowd. I don’t think it’s fair to the audience or to the crews at the venues or to my crew to put people in a situation where they’re possibly risking their lives or taking the virus home to their kids, or they go to school and give it to other kids. It just didn’t feel right. I pride myself, and I have always prided myself, on being successful at a job where nobody gets hurt. I’m not an investment banker or a hedge fund manager. I don’t need anybody to fail for me to succeed. And I think if we hadn’t put these kinds of restrictions in place and we didn’t hold the line on it, I would feel like I was taking advantage of people while I’m doing my job. I don’t ever want to do that, because that little thing that I love the most about the job that I have is the fact that it spreads something positive. I want to protect that. I don’t want to spread positive tests — I want to spread positive vibes.

With some states banning vaccine requirements, how does your decision affect your tour routing, from a logistical standpoint?

Well, so far, Houston’s the only one that we’ve had issue with. I have a really good team of people around me who are able to respond and react real quickly, and I know this is going to put a burden on them, but that’s a sacrifice they’re willing to make in order to do the right thing. We’ve got some shows coming up in Alabama, and I know Governor Ivey has been a little bit more science-based in some of her Covid-related decisions than some of the other Republican governors in the southeastern states. So I’m hoping that, if we need to, we can get in touch with her and discuss that, because Lord knows, I love playing big shows in my home state. But what’s really going to help is if all the artists who are at the level where they can hold this line and make these restrictions and keep them in place — if all those artists do that, it’s going to be real hard for the states to turn that down, because they’re going to lose a lot of revenue and a lot of their constituents are going to get real upset. That’s what I’m hoping happens.

So why won’t some artists, especially in country music, do what you’re doing? Or encourage their fans to get the vaccine? Or even just wear a mask?

It’s easy for me because I’m not really a country artist. It’s easy for me to say, “I don’t care if I piss off country fans or not,” because I really don’t have a whole lot of them. Artists who are working their way up or don’t have a huge crowd and aren’t bringing in a whole lot of money, they’re in a different situation, and it’s not as easy for them. I think a lot of it is the way the country music industry was designed and has been run from the start — what you’re seeing is another problem created by the unwillingness of country music to push any narrative other than the suffering of a straight white man. That’s been going on for so long, and that is the story that they have decided they’re going to sell. They know that that story will make them X amount of revenue, and so they continue to sell that story over and over right down the line. This is another one of many, many problems that have been caused by their reluctance to promote any narrative other than that one.

I think everybody should do the right thing, regardless of what you think your fans are going to do about it. I’m not risking the same amount as somebody who’s a superstar and loves being a superstar might be risking, but that being said, the right thing is still the right thing, no matter what. And there’s a difference between right and wrong; there aren’t good people on both sides; and I don’t want us to all unify and come together under the banner of stupidity. I think we should do the right thing any time we get the opportunity, no matter who we are. And the right thing is to try to keep people safe and make some requirements at your shows.

You’re playing Bonnaroo this year, and the festival just announced its own vaccination or negative-test policy. How will your policy work if another festival doesn’t comply?

When I made this declaration, I didn’t know Bonnaroo was going to do it, and I was a little nervous because I sure do love playing Bonnaroo. But (my policy) means across the board. I’m not going to play a festival unless they require either vaccine proof or a negative test. I have my own festival in Alabama (ShoalsFest in October), and we’re going to require that at my festival, and if Kay Ivey won’t let us do it, then we will not have the festival, as much as it breaks my heart to say it.

There’s no leeway on that as far as you’re concerned.

The test is the leeway, and that’s plenty. They’ve got a better test now where they can just do it real comfortably and it takes three minutes and it’s no problem. And they’re cheap. You can get tests now at Walgreens and there are still a lot of free testing facilities. So I’m not buying any of this, “We can’t afford to go get a test” bullshit. You might not be able to afford a positive result, but you should not be going about your business if you are Covid-positive.

Nashville clubs announced a similar policy yesterday. What’s your take on that, especially as it relates to the local musicians?

That’s a very specific point that needs to be made. At my level, I can make that decision and implement it. That can’t happen if people are playing Exit/In or Mercy Lounge. They need the venues to step up and take that heat, because the venues have more power than the artists in those situations. So I was really proud to see those places do that. It was their responsibility to take that on and not force the hand of these artists who are trying to make a living on one show at a time.

What would you say to fans who object to the proof-of-vax or negative-test mandate?

I think if people will look inside themselves, they will see that in most cases, the truth is that they are afraid to get the vaccine. I understand that. When my dad got the vaccine, he was afraid to get the vaccine. My wife got the vaccine, and she was afraid to get the vaccine. And they sat down and had a discussion. They talked to their doctor. The doctor told them, “This is why you don’t need to be afraid of this.” And they went and they got the vaccine.

I think a big problem with this is the fact that people don’t feel comfortable saying, “I’m afraid.” It’s so much easier to say, “Well, you can catch Covid even if you’ve been vaccinated” or “I’ve heard a lot of people getting sicker from the vaccine” or “This is just like the flu.” “This is just like the flu” is an interesting one to me, because until this point, it has not been just like the flu. It has been a whole hell of a lot worse than the flu. What we’re trying to get to is a point where Covid is just like the flu. That’s the win. That means that we get to have our lives back and our economy gets to do better. People get to go back to work and back to shows and families can be together. And you don’t have to worry about hundreds of thousands of people dying. It can be just like the flu — if we will all just go ahead and admit what we’re afraid of, communicate with the people that we trust, and get the damn vaccine if we can.

A lot of artists on tour now are reporting getting sick. Are you testing daily?

We’re testing band and crew every day. I’ve got a big old stack of tests, rapid tests, in my wardrobe case.

The trappings of the rock star life…

Yeah, it’s like, “Get out your snakeskin boots and stick a swab up your nose!”

You didn’t ask for this, but you’ve become something of a beacon for fans and for artists right now. How do you feel about that?

That’s fine with me. I have a lot of patience. I think the things that I learned when I was recovering from alcoholism made me more capable of handling a situation like this. But I’m not the first that did this. Widespread Panic are doing the same thing, and Japanese Breakfast did it pretty early. But I’m fine with whatever responsibility is put on me. I’m a white man. You know, there’s no reason to have all this privilege and power if I don’t use it for something good every once in a while.

I love this guy. Haven't spent much time with much of his post Truckers work, but I love this guy.

really proud of him for being a straight shooter

its great to see

Good news: reportedly Lollapalooza was not a super-spreader event. City reporting around 200 cases, 50 from Chicago, a handful from out of state, none requiring hospitalization or leading to death.

do US folks here intend to avoid gigs etc for the foreseeable future?

Short answer no, although I don't go to that many shows. I went to a few indoor jazz shows this week, most people wearing masks when walking around but also, y'know, not. Also a local outdoor festival, played one night and went to a couple other nights. Since I'm vaxxed (obv) and the vaccination rates are super high here, I feel fine about it tbh.

Was not expecting Saving Country Music to play Devil's Advocate here.

https://www.savingcountrymusic.com/houston-venue-refutes-jason-isbells-claim-it-refused-covid-policy/

Also, my question answered:

The show was going to be at about 10% capacity. We can seat 16,500 folks at our venue, and the show had sold about 1,700 tickets. We offered to open up our lawn. We are an open air, outdoor venue. We tried to give some options there, but our options were denied.”

Given the # of tickets sold, and had there been more acknowledged lead time (a point in the article is there was a disconnect between Live Nation messaging the venue about Isbell's demands and the venue addressing them), the show could possibly have been moved to an outdoor venue just north of downtown Houston that has been doing Covid-protocol shows since last year.

...and Isbell has performed at in the recent past.

...and where he probably should have been playing in the first place.

It's all a tangled mess, but I'd still assign the most blame to the venue, who seemed to drop the ball too many times in ways you just can't do these days.

If you’re so concerned with safety, be like Stevie Nicks and just cancel your tour. The vaccines aren’t going to stop the spread.

— Scott Mervis (@scottmervis_pg) August 12, 2021

The ‘pop music beat reporter’ for the Pittsburgh paper’s on the case.

Stevie Nicks cancelled her tour because she's 73 and has health issues and doesn't want to be exposed to a bunch of germs from unmasked and/or unvaxxed weirdos for in sets of two hours each spaced out over several weeks.

Was not expecting Saving Country Music to play Devil's Advocate here.

idk you weren’t?

the save country music guy has never struck me as someone who writes in good faith

or worth treating as an authority about anything

It's just he's usually tonedeaf about venue stuff (among other things), so getting such a rounded exploration* of what happened from there was a modest surprise. And despite Scam's general little hate-on for Isbell, it contains most damning evidence of the actions and non-actions of the venue.

*There's more about Live Nation and the venue in this piece than in others I've seen, which limit themselves to Isbell's pov and a mere scratching of the surface of everything else.

oh whoops, sorry reacted v off the cuff without reading lol. thank u c. grisso

Save Country Music guy is a racist-baiting asshole.

Well, yeah.

Live Nation follows AEG and requires proof of vaccination or negative test.

https://neilyoungarchives.com/news/1/article?id=A-Message-Farmaid-And-The-Pandemic

Nine Inch Nails cancelled the rest of their tour dates for this year.

i feel like most of the people who will be making moves like these will be folks like trent or neil who do not rely on touring income to survive

Ty Segall is going vax-only for upcoming shows.

and by that he means his shows are only people showing up to get vaccines and no actual music

lol Riot Fest replaced NIN with ... Morrissey.

All the NIN fans on my timeline when that news hit:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBOhQamGGuI

Live Nation follows AEG and requires proof of vaccination or negative test

But not till October. They have summer tour money to make first , without having to have ushers looking at vax cards. They claim the October start is to give staff time to get vaccinated

I'm sure making money (after making summer plans) played a part, but tbf, if you got your first shot of Moderna or Pfizer today, you couldn't get your second shot until somewhere around September 10. And if you got your second shot September 10, you wouldn't be fully vaxxed until around October. That was one of the complaints some were making after Bonnaroo called for vaccines, that it didn't give enough notice for people to get the double-shots in time for the show, just the single dose J&J. Which of course is better than nothing, but if I had my choice that is not necessarily the shot I'd prefer.

That was one of the complaints some were making after Bonnaroo called for vaccines, that it didn't give enough notice for people to get the double-shots in time for the show,

If only someone had informed them about the vaccine at any point before then! My heart, it weeps.

What vaccine?

too busy partying to glance at the news or social media for 12 months

BTS cancels world tour.

pic.twitter.com/QpQAr7q84R

— Sam O’Rama (@samorama) August 20, 2021

I thought it would be cancelled, but Clive Davis's huge Central Park concert is still going (and just missing a tropical storm that's already cancelled the following evening Summerstage concert with Common). I walked by tonight and to my surprise they were doing soundchecks with Patti Smith and Paul Simon. I only stayed for Patti's but she did some standards you've come to expect like "People Have the Power," "Gloria," "Because the Night," etc. Lots of stop and starts, but a nice thing to run into.

CNN will stream it live tomorrow at 5 p.m. EST, and it's free to watch, i.e. you don't have to login/have an account to get the whole thing.

Article summarizing the state of things:

Are concerts safe? For a growing number of artists and tour pros, risk outweighs reward https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2021-08-23/delta-variant-concerts-cancellations

Ironically, 'twas not Covid that killed Bonnaroo this year:

We are absolutely heartbroken to announce that we must cancel Bonnaroo. While this weekend’s weather looks outstanding, currently Centeroo is waterlogged in many areas, the ground is incredibly saturated on our tollbooth paths, and the campgrounds are flooded to the point that...

— Bonnaroo (@Bonnaroo) August 31, 2021

https://www.thedailybeast.com/kiss-postpones-concerts-after-paul-stanley-gene-simmons-catch-covid?

https://www.nashvillecasketsales.com/assets/images/kiss11-800x600.jpg

Caskets are not autographed. Picture is of Gene Simmons autographing our prototype.

[Cancels order...]

If you should happen to feel like you have a little too much faith in humanity today, I suggest you take a quick stroll through the responses in that Bonnaroo tweet thread to have them knocked back down to reasonable levels.

They should go camp out in that sloppy flooded mudfield in protest.

A lotta people not understanding that you can be mad about something and not go on Twitter about it.

Meanwhile in Nebraska, rain just means they're just moving indoors:

A Christian rock show tonight and a country rock show tomorrow will be moved indoors at the State Fair in Grand Island with no masks or vaccines required.

The Covid vaccination rate in Hall County is under 42%, and the rates of surrounding counties are even lower. This is nuts. https://t.co/371bt1a3oY

— Ted Genoways (@TedGenoways) September 1, 2021

Sometimes I wonder if it's less COVID fatigue than it is just like living fatigue

that's the crux, i think. we're a spiritually sick society

Neko Case cancelling the rest of her tour with AC Newman.

That’s a weekend of sold-out shows for them. Damn.

This weekend’s shows are unfortunately postponed due to illness. New dates will be:
Fri Jan 14 - New York, Irving Plaza
Sat Jan 15 - Boston, The Royale

— Guided By Voices (@_GuidedByVoices) September 9, 2021

Not able to confirm that this is COVID related, to be transparent, but not great news.

Just noticed today that Dinosaur Jr are no longer on the Riot Fest line up, and their home page tour section has many dates listed as postponed. Bummer. I feel bad for Ryley Walker, as that would have been an excellent bill. I wasn't ready for indoor shows yet, and didn't get tix for their separate Chicago show.

Sorry, y’all pic.twitter.com/z3BWdO67HB

— clipping. (@clppng) September 13, 2021

Faith No More now too:

pic.twitter.com/7vFtlB34lP

— Faith No More (@FaithNoMore) September 14, 2021

Just whiplash to see these cancellations coming in between new tour announcements (Mastodon/Opeth tour for one).

That's not due to covid though. Patton is struggling with mental health issues.

A statement from Mike Patton pic.twitter.com/uUIZdlefAm

— Ipecac Recordings (@IpecacRec) September 14, 2021

thanks for that, sorry. i hadn't seen Patton's separate release and the first tweet linking the FNM announcement said it was from COVID and i jumped the gun.

accidentally posted this in the wrong thread:

Dead and Company cancelled their two Florida shows coming up next month. Official reasoning being "routing and production logistics", but I won't be surprised to lean that is has more to do with DeSantis and his anti-vaccine proof stance. They've been pretty big on proof of vaccine requirements at their shows and vocally concerned about Delta. Considering they are still managing the "routing and production logistics" are still getting them through North Carolina and Georgia, it's hard not to read between the lines about why only the Florida shows got scratched.

Judas Priest cancelled rest of US tour, though NOT due to COVID, but due to Richie Faulkner's ticker problems (he's my age!!! ;_;)

This was the thread I was actually looking for, but as mentioned in the other thread, Sturgill Simpson cancelled a bunch of shows (including his Webster Hall residency) due to ongoing vocal issues. He had COVID last year so maybe it's long-term effects?

North America 2021 - An important message to our fans pic.twitter.com/P492jPH8WW

— Dead Can Dance (@DCDmusic) September 20, 2021

Update on our North American 2021 Tour Dates pic.twitter.com/fmAMz9eHRM

— Dead Can Dance (@DCDmusic) September 29, 2021