Standing by

Today’s announcement that all Rick Springfield concerts through August have been postponed until further notice was no surprise, but still felt crushing.

It’s one more reminder of all the changes in our new reality. So many things that we took for granted wiped away so suddenly. The enormity of it all is so hard to process.

So many people are dealing with incomprehensible challenges during this pandemic – such as those on the front lines or those fighting for their lives from the coronavirus or those hit hard economically. Every little loss has an impact in different degrees of severity. For music fans, concerts provide something to look forward to and a deep sense of enjoyment and connection. For the musicians and the crews, it’s their livelihood. It sucks on so many levels.

As of tonight, the desktop version of the RS website concert listing page has across the top of the page in red: “Please stand by for tour schedule updates.”

That’s really all we can do right now. We’re standing by to see how the number of COVID-19 cases will be affected by states lessening restrictions and opening up. We’re trying to figure out what to do with our kids this summer and waiting to hear what the next school year will look like. Some are wondering if their business will be able to survive. Will this be a temporary blip on a long history of trials we’ve faced as humanity or is this the time when everything changed? So much is unknown.

But it’s not all doom and darkness. There’s still much love and compassion and light. Volunteers and donors are stepping up to help others. So many people are creating music and art and various forms of creativity and entertainment to share with others. The recent “The Wall Will Fall” project is one of many examples. Innovation and resilience are also popping up – such as the resurgence of drive-in movies after the movie theaters closed, drive-up birthdays, Zoom weddings and funerals. There have also been some drive-in concerts.

We don’t know how this will turn out. But then again, before the pandemic we also didn’t know how things would turn out, we just made lots of assumptions based on experience.

For now, we’ll have to stand by to see how this develops – and, to quote an awesome new song that I’ve heard many times over the past week – be sure to “take care of each other.”