March 12th I fell asleep in Franklin, TN at midnight and woke up in Pensacola, FL around 8am. I got off the bus, grabbed my suitcase and searched for an arrow made out of green tape to guide me to our dressing room. From there things went about like they usually do on a show day.
Get ready. Breakfast. Chill. Check to see how stage is coming along. Unload trailer. Start setting up.
*DaDaDa DaDaDa*
I raised my wrist to read the ESPN headline. “NHL suspending play immediately due to Coronavirus.” This wasn’t going to be a normal day anymore. It didn’t take long for the news to travel around not to mention questions. Almost all our shows were in hockey arenas. Were they still going to let us play the rest of the tour? Are we even good to go for tonight?
The rest of the day was a little quieter than usual. Understandably since all of our questions laid heavy on our shoulders. It wasn’t until a few hours after lunch we got the text. “Everyone to catering please". We sat for half an hour before we got the news that this evening’s show and the rest of the tour was being cancelled. Now we all had different questions.
Some of us worried about our finances or what to do about work since this tour was going to keep us busy every weekend until the middle of April. A friend told me he hasn’t worked in 6 months because of a motorcycle accident and was planning on this tour to get things rolling again. Some worried about burning through savings until the next gig came up. Some looked at it from another view and were happy to be home with their family.
One by one every tour was canceling. One by one all the buses were coming back to Nashville. One by one we were hugging it out, bummed that we couldn’t finish the tour. One by one we all got in our cars and left. It only took a few days for Lower Broadway to follow suit. No industry was safe from the effects of COVID-19.
As an artist now it’s time to dust off all the projects we have ever wanted to do and put them all on the table. The excuse of us not having enough time is no longer an excuse we can say.
If you have a song to sing grab a guitar and start cultivating melodies. If you have a story to tell grab a book and concrete your words on paper. Do all those drum covers you’ve been wanting to do. Start laying down the groundwork for all those podcast ideas.
Art that is true and excellent doesn't need the best equipment. The only thing it needs is an honest heart. Grab your iPhone or Mac, download GarageBand, track in your bedroom and go for it. Tell us your story. Sit with your craft and hone it. Go to social media and ask your friends to send you demos and help them with their art. Go grab your friend’s record on iTunes or Google Play to show them you care and want to support them.
Most importantly, we have more time to be with our families. Slower mornings to drink our coffee together. Meaningful conversations with our partners after the kids are asleep. Get your gloves out and throw the baseball in the front yard. Have Group FaceTime with your family. FaceTime your best friend and drink whiskey together while catching up. We now have time to capture every moment without having to be severed from the ones we love. We might be physically isolated but that doesn’t mean we have to be emotionally disconnected.
Your calendar is more open than ever. You now have time to read all those books you’ve been hoarding. Listen to your favorite records more intensely. Grab your tent and have a family outing in your backyard. Have movie marathons.
I know this season is full of unknowns and uncertainties but it can also be a time of being present and joyful and doing all the things you’ve been meaning to do. Fear can be crippling and numbing. Don’t give in. Don’t give up. We’re going to make it.
Stay safe and take care of one another. We are all in this together,
Edwin