By: Alayna Smith
Just as the first few waves of COVID-19 had seemingly come to an end, a dangerous new variant has stepped up to take its place. This has left everyone questioning, are we closing the world up again? And more importantly for music lovers, when will they get to see their favorite artists perform live again?
Of course we could always watch it through a screen, or listen on a million different electronics, but there is something about seeing an artist doing a sloppy dance and at least pretending to sing, that just can’t be matched. You really can’t beat being pushed around by a bunch of random strangers. Then again, adding a deadly illness into the already dangerous mosh pit is a disaster waiting to happen.
With mask mandates being reinforced for both vaccinated and unvaccinated people in many counties and states, the signs aren’t exactly promising as to when it comes to staying fully open. The CDC states, “The Delta Variant is more than twice as contagious as previous variants.” This in mind, along with the fact that vaccinated people can also transmit the virus, large crowds pose a serious threat. It is recommended by the CDC that people everywhere, especially in places with a high transmission rate, such as California, get vaccinated as soon as possible in order to protect themselves and those around them. Both the severity of symptoms, and the time that the virus can be transmitted once someone is exposed, are greatly reduced among the vaccinated population.
Many artists are growing reasonably concerned about COVID-19 exposure and are fighting to take precautions while people demand a performance. Within the past few days alone, many popular artists have chosen to cancel their upcoming or active tours altogether. This includes groups like BTS, Florida Georgia Line, Garth Brooks, and more. Other big names, such as Harry Styles have chosen to restrict their venues to only people who are willing to present proof of their COVID-19 vaccines.
Some artists, and many determined fans, are still trying to power through, but those numbers are growing smaller and smaller every day. As much as most people don’t want to hear it, it looks like this concert season, and most likely the next are coming to an indefinite halt. Most artists, crew, and even concert-goers, have accepted that the excitement of a concert is simply not worth the risk.
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