The music industry is hoping for a busy fall tour season, but will concerts return before the leaves change?
Nearly fourteen months have passed since live music came to a halt seemingly overnight. As the battle against the global COVID-19 pandemic rages on, many are still wondering when concerts will return. Some states are testing the waters with socially distant outdoor events, while others are already welcoming full capacity crowds with few if any, COVID-related safety guidelines. Still, most places on Earth don’t have live music in any form, and no one really knows when that will change.
But the music industry is resilient. While theories and criticism abound, many are looking toward the future with full hearts and hopeful eyes. The demand for a return to normalcy is deafening, and many in the industry believe that live music can play a role in helping lure people out of their homes and back into social situations.
In this Music Biz update, host James Shotwell explores how a single announcement ushered in a lot of hope and anticipation for a busy 2021 concert season. He also looks at the potential drawbacks, hold-ups, and worries that come with change.
Speaking at a January conference held by the Association of Performing Arts Professionals, Dr. Anthony Fauci was asked about the potential for live entertainment to return in 2021:
“If everything goes right, this will occur sometime in the fall of 2021, so 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,” Fauci said, noting that the return depends upon getting between 70% to 85% of the population vaccinated, according to the New York Times. Along with the vaccination, Fauci said venues and theaters might need to take further safety precautions, particularly if they do not have adequate ventilation.”
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