music
The Sounds
of Silence
MUSICIANS ADJUST TO LIFE WITHOUT MUSIC
IN THE MIDST OF CORONAVIRUS
By Will Kennedy
T
he news came slow, then fast. On March 12, in hopes of mitigating
the spread of the coronavirus and amid calls for social distancing
in all aspects of daily life, Gov. Kate Brown banned all gatherings of
more than 250 people in Oregon for four weeks. The decree left local
venue calendars in disarray as cancellations and postponements
rolled through.
When the news hit, I had just talked with former Eugene singer-
songwriter Dan Jones about returning to his hometown for a concert at Sam Bond’s.
That show was canceled, like others. Live music in Eugene, it seems, has gone out.
But not all. Before the current more-restrictive ban, the show might have gone on
at some venues with a capacity under 250. I talked with artists scheduled to perform
in this new reality, to get a sense of what concerned them — both for themselves and
their crowd — and about the prospect of life without live music. For these musicians,
music isn’t just a livelihood; it’s their entire life.
Betty Jaeger, vocalist with Baroque Betty and High Step Society, says she’s
concerned beyond words.
“I’ve also been grieving collectively with my bands,” the singer says in an email, as
well as fellow performers, producers, stagehands and service industry workers.
When I spoke with Jaeger, Baroque Betty was scheduled to perform with Matriarch
at Spectrum on March 24. Whether that show will happen is now uncertain. “I have
lost almost every booking I had for
March, April and May,” Jaeger says.
Robert Jacobs, singer and guitarist
with Eugene-based ’50s-style rock
‘n’ roll band Daddy Rabbit, planned
to play March 21 at Mac’s at the Vets
Club. As of press time, the concert
has not been canceled or postponed.
The band has mixed feelings about
the ban. “We only play locally, so no
worries about the touring aspect,”
Jacobs says. The band is concerned,
though, about possible cancellations
as well as the wisdom of playing out
at this time. “At least until we see
— THEO SLAVIN
what we’re dealing with on a local and
national level,” Jacobs says.
The ban especially affects touring
musicians. Bay Area duo The Brankas were scheduled to play at Old Nick’s March
24. When I contacted the band, the show was a go, but since then it’s been scuttled —
along with the band’s entire tour.
“It just didn’t seem like the right time to be on the road,” Brankas singer/guitarist
Theo Slavin says in an email. “We want everyone who participates in our shows to be
as safe as possible.”
To lower the risk of viral transmission by traveling to a new town every day, as well
as compromising their own health, the band had no choice but to cancel, he adds. The
musicians take a hit, both emotionally and financially.
“Artists are going to be facing financial uncertainty for the near future,” Slavin
continues. “If you have the extra bucks: Tip big, buy a record, check in and make sure
that they’re doing OK. It’s hard enough out there without a global pandemic, and our
country’s sorry excuse for a safety net doesn’t help.”
During the pandemic, Jaeger plans to stay creative in this period without
performance opportunities.
“One of the only things keeping me floating on a thin balloon of hope in this
situation is coming up with a plan B to utilize my time efficiently,” she says. Since
she can’t play shows or tour, Jaeger hopes to up the ante on rehearsal, composing,
costume design and choreography
“My work is such a crucial piece to my own identity that I can’t afford, nor do I desire, to
lay it down just because the performance opportunities are gone,” she says.
'It’s hard enough out
there without a global
pandemic, and our
country’s sorry
excuse for a safety
net doesn’t help.'
E U G E N E W E E K LY . C O M
JUN 11
JUN 12
4:00PM GATES 5:00PM SHOW
4:30PM GATES 6:00PM SHOW
AN EVENING WITH
JUL 01
JUL 09
5:30PM GATES 7:00PM SHOW
5:30PM GATES 7:00PM SHOW
RESERVED SEATING & GA LAWN
WITH CASSIAN
AUG 04
AUG 07
6:00PM GATES 7:00PM SHOW
5:30PM GATES 7:00PM SHOW
18+ TO ATTEND
AUG 29
SEP 04
4:30PM GATES 6:00PM SHOW
RESERVED SEATING & GA LAWN
6:00PM GATES 7:30PM SHOW
M A R C H
1 9 ,
2 0 2 0
15