Local music in the midst of a global pandemic

The pandemic has changed Utah’s music scene. Restrictions on large group gatherings have majorly affected the local music business, which heavily relies on live performances. 

Ogden band Mojave Nomads hasn’t been able to play a live show since the pandemic began.

“We had a lot of shows scheduled for this year which have all been canceled,” said lead vocalist Tyler Harris. “As a band, shows are the best way we have to fund recording and doing things as a band, so it has really slowed us down a bit.”

Without the ability to put on live shows, Mojave Nomads changed their focus to working on new music. 

“Luckily, we are in a position to record from home,” Harris said. “For the first part we completely just took a break from rehearsing, and we have shifted gears to writing new music.”

Local Logan band Sorrymom has had a very similar experience.

“The pandemic has really slowed us down,” bassist Spencer Felix said. “While we have been able to better focus on our soon-to-be-announced second single, our actual frequency in meeting as a band has gone down a lot.”

For Felix personally, the sudden absence of playing live shows has completely changed the dynamic of his musical career. 

“In the absence of playing live, it has given me the opportunity to focus more on my own musicality, songwriting, production and direction,” Felix said. “In this sense, it has had some positive impacts because it has given me the space to get better at music, write more quality content, learn the craft of musical recording and production better and start another band as well.” 

Sorrymom has played only three live shows since the virus began: a livestream for Aggie Radio, an all-masked 50-person show in Provo, and an outdoor rolling show at Logan’s WhySound Venue. 

“Playing live is really what keeps music alive. Everybody listens to music through speakers, but hearing music in person is something unique, exciting, different and new every time, so I think everybody just misses the stage,” Felix said. “Even though socially distanced shows aren’t ideal, they are still happening, and we love to see people coming out to listen.”

Planning safe and enjoyable concerts during a pandemic is possible, but it can be difficult. Utah State University’s Aggie Radio traditionally hosts The Big Agg Show concert at the beginning of the school year, but planning this year’s concert has been a complicated process for Aggie Radio Events Director Sydney Ho.

“The biggest difference is definitely that we have to get everything approved through this big process that makes everything take so much longer,” Ho said. “It has also been difficult finding ways to make events like this safe for the students. We are just going to have to accept that events are going to look different this year and make the best of it.”

Though it’s been complicated to go through the process of getting the event approved, Ho said the bands have been very flexible with all the changes necessary to make the concert happen, and it is great to be able to support the local music scene.

“We still haven’t gotten a finalized event approved because nothing is quite working out, but we are looking at doing small live shows recorded with only a few people in the audience and then streaming it for the most part. We’d also only be able to do one band a day,” Ho said. “Hopefully it will be a series through the semester.”

Because putting on safe concerts is so difficult, local concert venues are especially feeling the effects of the pandemic. 

“Venues and small businesses have taken a hit, no doubt, so I’m concerned some will need to close their doors, but with a loss also comes an opportunity for something new or improved, so I’m hopeful that even disappointing losses can bring positive future changes,” Felix said. “I know pretty much any venue appreciates donations, and many of them have Gofundmes or donation links all ready to go.”

Both Felix and Harris encourage buying merch and streaming music to support smaller musicians who no longer have financial support from live shows.  

“Now is definitely a time to stream music and buy merch if you can,” Harris said. “A simple share of someone’s music can help more than you know.”

Darcy Ritchie is a second-year journalism student at Utah State from Idaho Falls, Idaho. Outside of writing for the Statesman, she loves to DJ for Aggie Radio, eat french bread in the Walmart parking lot, and tweet.

—darcy.ritchie@aggiemail.usu.edu

@darcyrrose