Question of the Week: Do you agree or disagree with canceling concerts, Meijer Gardens shows and other events due to COVID-19?
Local Spins Question of the Week (May 28, 2020)
Do you agree or disagree with the decision to cancel free community concerts, the Meijer Gardens series and other summer events due to COVID-19?
This week’s winner of a Local Spins bandana: Email subscriber Christine Guzorek. Sign up for email updates and the weekly newsletter here: https://localspins.com/subscribe-local-spins-mailing-list/
THE READER RESPONSES:
Ben Wade – What many people don’t understand is the months of lead time it takes in planning and logistics to host a show. If they invest the thousands (if not millions) in promotion and work and have to cancel later, it would be devastating to the organizers. A lot of cancellations are because the planning phase can’t happen now AND the event is uncertain. It just not a reasonable investment under current conditions. Safer to cancel and wait for next season unfortunately.
Marcelle Pereault – Ben Wade this makes sense. And also all the uncertainty for what will be going on at the time the event was going to take place. It would be a big risk to invest and plan (even if they were able to do that now) when it could easily still be a major issue at the time of the event causing more cancellations and refunds.
Christopher Nichols – Increased levels of exposure significantly increase the probability of vulnerable people (immune compromised or suffering from other ailments) becoming infected, and the consequences for them are often quite severe. Out of respect for those who are more vulnerable than I am, I am happy to stay home and participate with my favorite bands over social media.
Stef Loy – At present, I can’t see going out to events like this until there is a vaccine. It pains me to say this, as last summer I began playing out with my teens, and discovering my daughter’s beautiful voice. Maybe I will be proven wrong, but for now, I have personally seen the pain this disease causes and do not wish to be a part of its spread, or get the damn thing myself.
Olivia Mainville – This shouldn’t even be a question…Canceling festivals affects my business directly, yet I completely agree with the decision to cancel concerts over risking public health. The fact that this question is even floating in people’s head is sickening. “Should we care for other people’s lives or should we do what we wanna do because we only care about ourselves and we always get what we want”. I don’t plan on playing any shows this summer.. I had every single weekend booked up. And as much as I like playing shows and like the money, I care about people’s lives more.. but I doubt a lot of music venues are going to make the right decision. People are always gonna do what they want to do. Any venue owner thats having shows this month have lost all my respect.
Bill Bissell – I’m sure the status of sponsorships and the logistics of trying to put together a national tour are factors too.
Mike Wedeven – This is a public service, will tell the music community who among their fans wants them dead.
Kurt S Volkers – Let the people make a choice to attend or not.
Amber Buist – Agree
Sam Cooper – This new article has a lot of good info. https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/05/how-will-we-ever-be-safe-inside/611953/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=share&fbclid=IwAR2oysWO5eygPEySdNhfCWh6-lEspz0DFRoEpt8-JFYggbLE_7NHx_jKDOA
Christine Guzorek – Totally agree. Even with guidelines, people don’t distance.
Diane Atanasoff – While difficult for a live music lover, I agree with the decision to cancel summer concerts. It’s painful imagining a summer without music festivals and concerts but who would want to be the organizer that realizes 2 weeks after an event there had been fans who contracted this monster virus due to exposure at your venue? The online concerts have kept me in touch with my favorite artists and has given me the ability to tip them in these difficult times. While not the perfect solution it helps.I have also discovered new artists who’s weekly concerts are something I truly look forward to. Live music will be back next year, stronger than ever and we will be hungry for it but for now we must be safe.
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