Live music, masks and mosh pits: How safe are summer concerts?

TAYLOR KNIGHT: 

SUMMER IS ALL ABOUT FUN IN THE SUN,

TRAVELING AND MOST IMPORTANTLY CONCERTS.

INDOOR, OUTDOOR, YOU NAME IT.

ITS A MASK OFF KIND OF SEASON.

BUT BEFORE YOU GO BUY YOUR WEEKEND FESTIVAL PASSES 

HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED YOU NEED TO KNOW. 

THE WORST PART OF CANCELLED CONCERTS WAS NO LIVE MUSIC. 

EVEN THE VERSUS BATTLES COULDN’T MAKE UP FOR THE LOST. 

CONCERTS AROUND THE WORLD WERE POSTPONED OR CANCELLED FOR OVER A YEAR.

A BUMMER FOR FANS.

EVEN MORE OF A BUMMER FOR THE ARTISTS LIKE JEFF PILSON.  

HE’S THE BASS PLAYER FOR FOREIGNER, THE ICONIC ROCK BAND WITH HITS LIKE JUKE BOX HERO AND COLD AS ICE.  

THE BAND WAS ON TOUR IN MINNESOTA, WHEN THE  GOVERNOR PULLED THE PLUG ON LIVE EVENTS. 

JEFF PILSON: WE WENT HOME THE NEXT DAY, WE DIDN’T HAVE A CLUE THAT WOULD BE OVER A YEAR BEFORE WE PLAYED AGAIN. 

TAYLOR KNIGHT: HE  ZOOMED ME FROM HIS HOME STUDIO  WHERE SPENT ALL OF COVID WONDERING  WHEN HE WOULD EVER PLAY IN FRONT OF LIVE AUDIENCE. 

TAYLOR KNIGHT: WERE YOU READY LIKE IN JANUARY, LIKE IM READY TO GET BACK OUT THERE. I FEEL GOOD. 

JEFF PILSON: I WAS READY WHEN THE PHONE CALL CAME THATS ITS TIME TO GO. 

TAYLOR KNIGHT: OK IM READY NOW. LETS GO. 

JEFF PILSON: I MEAN, WHEN WE WERE TALKING WE WERE ORIGINALLY TRYING TO DO SOME DATES IN MARCH, AND THAT DIDN’T END UP HAPPENING. SO WHEN IT GOT RESCHEDULED FOR MAY, I HAD A STRONG FEELING OF WOULD HAPPEN. AND IT DID. SO YEAH, VERY, VERY READY.

TAYLOR KNIGHT: FOREIGNER IS ONE OF HUNDREDS OF BANDS BACK ON TOUR. 

BUT HOW SAFE ARE THE SHOWS? KNOWING LESS THAN HALF THE COUNTRY HAS BEEN FULLY VACCINATED ASKED  DR. PAYAL KOHLI. 

TAYLOR KNIGHT: LETS PLAY OUT A SCENARIO ON HOW THE CONCERT EXPERIENCE COULD GO.

SCENARIO 1 NO MASK OR VACCINES.  

DR.KOHLI: PEOPLE ARE SINGING, AND THE CROWD IS CHEERING. SO THAT GENERATES A LOT MORE DROPLETS. PEOPLE ARE CLUSTERED IN CLOSE PROXIMITY BECAUSE OF THE MUSIC AND SOUND SYSTEM AND SUCH MOST PEOPLE ARE KIND OF CRAMPED TOGETHER, WHICH CAN CERTAINLY INCREASE THE RISK OF TRANSMISSION. 

TAYLOR KNIGHT: SCENARIO 2 MOSH PIT.  

HOW ABOUT MOSH PITS? DO YOU THINK PEOPLE SHOULD STAY AWAY FROM THE MOSH PITS?

DR.KOHLI: I THINK IT’S A GOOD IDEA TO AVOID IT RIGHT NOW. BECAUSE ITS A DEPENDENT POSITION, YOU’RE DOWN LOWER. THE LIKELIHOOD OF DROPLETS COMING DOWN UPON US IS HIGHER.

TAYLOR KNIGHT: SCENARIO 3 MASKS REQUIRED. 

DR: KOHLI: YOU SHOULD PROBABLY WEAR A MASK, BECAUSE THAT WILL REDUCE YOUR RISK.

I MEAN YOU CAN WAVE TO THEM FROM ACROSS THE THING OR YOU GUYS CAN DANCE TOGETHER. BUT YOU DON’T WANT TO GO GET UP CLOSE TO THEM. 

TAYLOR KNIGHT: SCENARIO 4 VACCINATION CARD REQUIRED. 

DR.KOHLI: WHEN PEOPLE ARE VACCINATED YOU CAN GO HUG THEM, YOU CAN MIX WITH THEM, YOU CAN GET INTO THE MOSH PIT, YOU CAN DO WHATEVER YOU WANT, IF THERES 100% RATE OF VACCINATION. 

TAYLOR KNIGHT: WE CAN SEE THERE IS A WAY TO HAVE THE BEST TO BOTH WORLDS.

STAYING SAFE AND ENJOYING YOUR FAVORITE MUSIC BANDS LIVE.

WHAT SUMMER CONCERTS DO YOU EXPECT TO HIT THIS SUMMER?

LET US KNOW IN THE COMMENTS BELOW.