Going Viral

I am worried about my family and my friends, my peers and my community. And while I'm working on a more "journalistic" piece for Skinny Devil Magazine, I just wanted to talk to you here, one on one, as we talk face to face. Just us, talking.

So I've been checking on gigs I had booked and pending, and find myself collecting cancellations, and I know my musician friends are collecting cancellations, too. I am worried about keeping secure those who depend on me and my income.

And I am worried about my musician friends who gig significantly more (or make a greater portion of their income via live performance), knowing that many have had 3 or 4 or even a dozen cancellations already this month. Those who play locally as well as those who perform regionally & nationally.



And live & studio engineers & producers who are getting cancellations. And worried about all the venue & restaurant owners & workers living on razor thin margins &/or tips who are not sure how they're going to pay the rent in 2 weeks.

And I am worried about the music shops and those who work there, as threats of reduced hours and week-long shut-downs affect owners & managers as much as sales associates.

And many more, besides.

And the supply chain that supports all of the above, from music gear manufacturers & distributors to those delivering the beverages & food to stock the restaurants & bars, and so much more. And obviously, I could go on and on. And on.

So what do we do?

Already, I'm seeing friends try live-streams, play-by-request video shows, "socially sparse" house shows, and more, in addition to providing links to their online stores at CD Baby and Bandcamp and Reverbnation and the like. And links to their subscription or one-off payment links from Patreon to Venmo to Paypal and similar.

Teachers are figuring out online options in case stores shut their doors or students' concerns keep them at home, and restaurants are implementing pick-up and delivery service.

And this, we hope, will help keep many heads above water.

But it doesn't keep me from worrying greatly, because having stepped inside a few establishments recently and seen so few customers that it is obvious that if we don't find solutions or relief methods soon, we're going to lose many of them. And the financial impact alone on owners, investors, employees, and supply chains is next to impossible to calculate. The cultural impact on our community, even more impossible.

There is, as far as I can see, no easy fix. So I'm just going to say please, if its within your means, support those local establishments and a handful of artists that mean something to you. In whatever way you see fit. And keep an eye on your friends in this stressful time. Check on your buddies, and do what you can to lend a helping hand.

Every little bit helps.