July 13th, 2020. Wear a damned mask.

Happy Delaware! Going north for our FIRST show that had been booked before Covid that has actually come to pass.

That’s some fraught shit. These are now two words that I really, really like together. Fraught shit. 2020 is some fraught shit, and today it feels like nothing will ever be the same again.

Look at Heather. Wearin’ a damned mask. We were kind of nervous about doing the July 4th gig, but everyone was respectful. Masks and socially distancing was totally in place. It was too hot but we persevered. We used that as evidence to go forward with today’s gig at Delaware’s Rockford State Park. The contract said masks are required for entry into the park. That the sound crew would be masked and waiting for us. That the stage would be isolated. That park rangers would be present to enforce all of the above. I don’t regret playing, and don’t really feel like anyone was in danger, but almost none of the above came to pass.
This is a distance shot, because even white males know that you better be ready to defend your actions when photographing cops… however, here’s our park rangers and police out in force totally failing to model, much less enforce a mask rule. The director of the state park showed up, maskless. The mayor showed up with a mask and the cops did put on masks for the majority of the evening. We were outdoors and people were (mostly) good about keeping their distance and not visibly offended when we didn’t shake hands and stuff – but a police officer isn’t just wearing a mask for their safety or my safety or your safety or whatever – they’re modelling behaviour. It’s the same thing that riles people up about cops who seem to need to speed and do shitty things with their cars even when they’re not visibly on a call with their lights flashing and sirens screaming… if they’re doing it why can’t *I*. It’s a childish extrapolation, but very real. Police officers need to understand that just putting on the mask when logic demands it but the rest of the time too is important for people to see. Perhaps even more than scolding everyone (anyone?) who’s walking past the signs that say “you must wear a mask to enter the park” because it’s not what you say… it’s what you do.

In truth, I’d come to that conclusion a while ago, but our psyches have momentum. Not like the way a freight train has momentum when it’s going 80mph and you try to slam the breaks on. Like a freight train going 80mph coming up on a 90 degree curve. We’re going to go plowing straight on no matter the collateral damage or the self-mutilation. We’ll scythe through buildings and people and house pets alike, and it’s going to take a lot more than one, two or even three near-death-experiences to get us to change course.

And so though I have flashes of optimism, that’s just my freight train pulling ahead of the tracks and pummeling on forward – because the curve was built after a long downhill decline – and there’s a cliff not too far off.

I’m reading posts from performers who’re going to just hang it up till they can perform for real again. Some of them say they don’t judge those that do, but most of them mention that they hope that other musicians will treat one another with the respect to end streaming “performances” and wait till we can actually head back into the venues. I’m reading posts from audience members who’re saying much the same thing. They’ll wait until there’s a “real” show, thank you very much. I’ve received some really fraught shit about how we’re just wasting our time trying to present a festival virtually and that we shouldn’t bother. The effort’s “exhausting”.

But I guess it’s a good thing the staff and cops aren’t enforcing all the laws since… this hadn’t been mentioned in our contract, by the booking company, etc. This is just a small sign posted by the bathrooms. Ya know, no big deal.

Yeah. It is.

I hope there IS a vaccine in December. But when I go into the streets of Ellicott City and enter a store, I see the sign that says “no mask no service”. And I exit the store and I walk down the street and I can see the people that are wearings masks, and I can see the people who aren’t. I won’t be able to see that with a vaccine, and with more than a quarter of Americans currently saying they wouldn’t get vaccinated even if there WAS a vaccine (https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/27-vaccinated-coronavirus-republicans-conservatives-poll/story?id=70962377) and a new study from Spain concerned that immunity and antibodies might simply not last from Coronavirus (https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-53315983) making it seem like even vaccinations maybe short-Lived solutions – well masks and social distancing might be here to stay.

Our beautiful stage. They normally get around 250 people for these events. We’re the first one of the season (previous ones having been rained out) and apparently if they’d gotten some unspecified number of “too many people” they’d have, if not shut things down, then at least canceled events going further. So – our roughly fifty attendees was deemed to be “just right”. (and so therefore, these smaller-than-I’d-expected speakers were deemed by me to be “just enough”)
We performed in the shadow of Rockford Tower. That’s a pretty cool thing. Honestly, we couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful day in mid July!

I know, I know – you just take a little from military slider and add a little bit to the research slider… train up more scientists and accelerate the program! Alas – Master of Orion taught me in no uncertain terms that plagues were overcome with research points – but it’s not something you just buy. Maybe we’ll have a vaccine in December. Of 2021. Or 22. Or never. Or maybe you’ve got to get it every 3 months. Or maybe it costs $1000 and can only be administered by a doctor with hospital-admitting priveleges.

  • Was a little worried that no-one was coming. Might’ve been relieved.
  • No need to be worried. Was happy we had people.

The point is – we have no idea when or even IF that happens. So what’s your timeline? If there’s no concrete endpoint how long are you on pause? How long before you perform? Before you go out? Do you let festivals die? Or do you find another way to do them? Do you go virtual this year and hope we do it with masks next year? Or do you just go dark.

It IS all exhausting. But I’m too pessimistic to be optimistic enough to just wait it out. And I think too many people are going to throw up their hands and dive back into their Lives in full once they’re tired of waiting, rather than realizing a hundred percent commitment to the middle ground (wear a damned mask) is probably JUST the thing we need.

On the drive home I took advantage of Living in the future and tuned into my open mic. We actually had enough of a connection that Kristen and Heather and I did an a capella version of “Good Heart” from I-95 as the sun set while crossing the Maryland line. It’s just so amazing that such a thing was possible.
Picture of rob

rob

you've been warned.
All My Posts

upComing & inComing

2 thoughts on “July 13th, 2020. Wear a damned mask.”

  1. suzibird says:

    Just for the record I think your virtual performances ARE Real performances and just because everything in that regard isn’t exactly what I’d like it to be I’m going to continue to tune in and rock out even if it’s in my living room… Don’t stop now rockstar

    Reply
  2. Alisa says:

    As a fan who lives across the universe, and may never get to see you perform in person again, I have been thrilled with the virtual performances when I can watch them. And the same goes for other performers. This change in The Way Things are Being Done Now has expanded my exposure to talent.

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *