From the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, musicians felt the sting. Oh, for most of us, it was secondary to the hardships and inconveniences with regards to keeping that roof over your head and food on the table. For those who work in the entertainment or event industries it was a double whammy, and from the looks of things, it will be quite a while before it’s OK to attend a crowded gathering.
But in many places around the state, things are opening up, slowly, and at least at smaller restaurant venues, they’ll be wanting music back, and bluegrass is poised to be a popular choice, in my opinion. It can be well-performed with smaller ensembles with a minimum of floor space footprint. It will provide a VERL welcome addition to the diners’ experience.
One of my bandmates joked that we’d be in popular demand – we’ve been keeping crowds small for decades!
Jokes aside, we are cautiously optimistic about getting the chance to play out this summer. For venues and artists who depend on a packed house to make money, however, their prospects, at least for the remainder of the year, look grimmer.
The rush is on to find other ways to monetize music. Streaming music has been a part of the landscape for quite a while, but it seems it only makes real money at high sales volume. Pay-per-view streaming events is a possibility, but again, it makes more sense in volume. Who wants to pay $40 to watch a bluegrass on their computer or TV?
One thing is for certain – like we’ve always said, the music must be played, and people still want to listen and watch. So, with that much motivation and demand, we are likely to encounter some very interesting ideas to fulfill those needs. Some will fall with a thud, but some may catch on and result in a wholly new landscape for artists and fans. We shall see…
