THE YEAR THAT MUSIC
persevered BY ELLEN KANZINGER
Musicians of the Blue Ridge look back on a year without in-person performances as the promise of a return to live shows and festivals grows.
T
he sound check was one of the last items on the list before the doors opened to the Grey Eagle and Fireside Collective hit the stage for their CD release party. The Ashevillebased quintet had just finished dialing in everything for the show when North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper issued an executive order banning gatherings of more than 100 people. Although they had spent months putting "Elements" together, the band made the difficult decision to cancel the night’s event. It was March 14, 2020 and there were 23 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the state. Jesse Iaquinto, a mandolinist and vocalist for the band, told everyone not to worry about it; they’d be back at it by the end of April. “I stayed optimistic for a while,” he said. “That changed after many months.” Talk to any musician about 2020 and you’ll hear tales of canceled tours, delayed records, loss of income, and a complete lifestyle change. “The biggest challenge of this whole thing has been just not knowing where we’re going to be in three months,” Iaquinto said. “For us, we typically plan six months to a year in advance. I think a lot of bands are just sitting and waiting to see what happens.”
“The biggest challenge of this whole thing has been just not knowing where we’re going to be in three months.”
Wish You Were Here On Stage
S C O T T T. S M I T H . P H O T O BY BRAIDEN MADDOX
Nowadays, with most music streaming online and album sales tough to come by, touring is the bread and butter for many bands. As the main source of income and main avenue for promoting an album, a canceled show can hit hard. Chamomile and Whiskey spent 2019 recording their third album, putting a lot of time, money, and effort into the process and preparing for a big year on the road. Soon after their annual St. Patrick’s Day show at Virginia’s Jefferson Theater was canceled, everything else followed. “It was a 60 to 0 kind of thing,” said founding member, guitarist, and songwriter Koda Kerl. “Suddenly everything’s gone.” The first few weeks were hard as the band adapted to the new situation. But as the pandemic went on, they stayed busy on the creative side of things. “It’s probably been one of the most fruitful periods for us as a band and me as a writer,” Kerl said. “When you’re on tour a lot and you’ve got other responsibilities, you get back home and you just feel like laying around.” After more than a year at home, he already has the songs for M AY 2 0 2 1 | B LU E R I D G E O U T D O O R S . C O M
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