America is going full steam ahead when it comes to concerts and festivals this summer. Canadians can only watch with envy.
America has apparently declared mission accomplished when it comes to COVID-19. Even though infection and case rates are still higher than Canada’s in some territories, masks are being tossed, social distancing has all but disappeared, and people are crowding into big public events. Tours and festivals that had been postponed are now being rescheduled for 2021.
Canada? Nope. Not yet. Many of the rescheduled tours have dropped the Canadian dates from the itinerary.
1. Foo Fighters
They were supposed to hit a couple of places in Canada on their 25th-anniversary tour. That didn’t happen, of course, but now that they’ve rescheduled (it’s being called The 25th 26th Anniversary Tour), there’s nothing for us north of the border.
2. The Hella Mega Tour
There used to a date scheduled for the Rogers Centre in Toronto, but now the tour with Green Day, Fall Out Boy, Weezer, and The Interrupters will bypass us entirely.
3. Guns N’ Roses
Fans will holding out hope for a July show at the Rogers Centre, but that’s been scrubbed from this set of new dates.
4. Coachella
Okay, so it’s not a tour, but it’s still the most famous festival in the US. Organizers were apparently thinking about doing something in October, but the just-announced new dates are in April 2022. YouTube says they’ll stream the whole thing.
5. Alanis Morisette’s Jagged Little Pill Tour
Another gig (also featuring Liz Phair and Garage) that was supposed to come to Canada in 2021. Nope.
Me? I’d rather we be safe than sorry and I’m hoping that the US (and the UK) aren’t pushing their luck when it comes to getting back to normal. But that doesn’t mean we can’t be jealous.
Perhaps I’m overly optimistic, but I’m going to buy Gary Numan tickets in Toronto for October. We’ll see.
I’m due for my 2nd dose Monday, but watching all these events (NHL playoffs, the Indy 500, etc.) has me shaking my head. Despite serious live music withdrawal, there’s no way you’d get me in a crowded venue for a while yet.
I passed the half century mark March 1st, 2020; a little better than 2 weeks before the first wave shut down. My wife and 10 year old son had planned a summer weekend get away to Toronto with the GnR/SP show being our big stadium concert that year. 2 of my all time favourite bands on the same bill, to good to be true. Unfortunately it was. I was forwarded the email last night that the event had been cancelled and money refunded. Sure it sucks, and my wife feels terrible that our family get away to celebrate my milestone birthday had to be nixed. However if that’s the worse thing that happened to me during this whole crazy COVID nightmare then I need to consider myself blessed. I’m so looking forward to being at a jays game, or cheering on whoever the visiting squad is at the Scotiabank center, and I really really miss live music regardless if it is a big stadium rock show, a smaller intimate theatre gig,, or just a local band playing the neighbourhood bar. But the one thing I’m sure of is that whenever we do reopen fully it is because we can do it in such a way that allows us to have fun while being safe from this horrible disease, and for that I am willing to wait a little longer.