The body count thus far for music concerts has been pretty mild considering the blood bath the stock market is taking and the rising worldwide death toll due to the Wuhan flu, the coronavirus that emanated out of a Chinese open-air wet market selling bats.
The good news is that music lovers can head to Idaho where no confirmed cases of the coronavirus exist, and the annual Treefort Music Festival is scheduled and going ahead as planned from March 25-29 in downtown Boise, Idaho.
Blame it on the magic potatoes, but Idaho so far is in the clear:
The bad news: What was canceled so far?
In the music realm, SXSW in Austin, Texas, which covers not only music but cinema, TV, and the arts, was canceled.
In Austin, this means millions of dollars in lost tourism revenue the city has counted on annually since 1987. The event has grown dramatically over time, and it is estimated that near $2 million will be lost as a result of this.
Many touring artists have canceled major shows across Asia. Rockers X Ambassadors announced that their Feb. 14 and 15 shows in Shanghai and Chengdu, were canceled.
Then also using Twitter they announced their Italian tour was not happening either:
We sadly inform you that our Italian show, scheduled for March 7 at Fabrique in Milan, will not take place following the last decree from the President of the Council of Ministers. So sorry, please stay safe ❤️
Infos for tickets refunds on https://t.co/oP9oQXKAIF
— X AMBASSADORS (@XAmbassadors) March 4, 2020
NCT Dream’s promoter One Production canceled their Macau, China appearance, scheduled for Feb. 7 and 8 and their Feb. 15 concert in Singapore.
Classical music, too, as The Boston Symphony Orchestra nixed their planned Asia tour. The orchestra had been scheduled to go on a four-city tour that included Seoul in South Korea, Taipei in Taiwan and Shanghai, and Hong Kong in China in February.
K-pop group TWICE’s Tokyo fan signing events were canceled back in February. With the start of the spring-summer festival season just weeks away, artists, booking agents, and promoters are seeing their lucrative touring season dry up faster than ever.
Madonna just announced she is canceling Madame X dates in France.
The good news is not everything is canceled
In the USA, only 22 confirmed deaths, including one in California have been reported as of Sunday, and the ones that have succumbed were high risk for any kind of flu due to their age.
But officials do expect it to spread more widely as 51 people in California have been diagnosed with the virus, and both Los Angeles, San Francisco, Orange County have declared health emergencies.
In California, everyone is holding their breath over Coachella, the big desert music festival in Indio, Riverside county. But the locals, many of whom are seniors and in the highest demo for dying from the virus, are working hard trying to stop it.
The NY Post article quoted one nearby resident:
“This is a HUUGE gathering by people who can’t even keep herpes to themselves!!!” wrote Lyssa Perez of neighboring Palm Desert.
Meanwhile, in Idaho, the state is surrounded by confirmed cases in California, Washington, and Oregon, yet still has no confirmed cases to report.
This is music to the organizers of the Treefort Music Festival, one of the spring concert fests that attract hundreds of bands and still plans to put on the show.
Who is booked for Treefort Music Festival?
Over 500 bands, including the Chromatics, Japanese Breakfast, Calexico, Omar Apollo, Grouplove, Built To Spill, Christian Scott Atunde Adjuah, YOB, AJJ, Larkin Poe, Peter Bjorn and John, Tennis Prefuse 73, Lightening Bolt, Sinkane, Pell, Georgia, Joshysoul, Vundabar, The Districts, Monophonics and so many more.
Check out what went down in 2019:
Monsters & Critics have had its wristbands for the week and will be out in full force at Treefort Music Festival for their fourth year covering the event.