Will 2020 be the year without music?

[Michedelic]

I respect your position, but I totally disagree. IMO those rappers and DJs don't have what people need right now. People want to be heard, seen and have something they can relate to. Right now, when people can't buy toilet paper, no one can relate to Jay-Z rapping about owning a 747, 20 Rolexes and Picassos hanging in his bathroom.

Regarding “what the people need”, please explain this:


I’m going to guess that they were not partying to Neil Young, but to dance music that sounds like an alarm clock going off, with the sound of a clothes dryer in need of repair underneath. As far as Neil, and the other artists you mentioned, have any immediately come up with songs that address the crisis, like Young did with “Let’s Roll” after 9/11? If not, they are just as behind the times as any rapper who up to February was focused on bling, but I’ll bet the hip hop lyrical content will change pretty quick. Maybe Jay-Z will donate huge sums of money to some sort of relief effort, who knows? As far as DJ music is concerned(and let the record show that neither genres are what I would call “my jams”, but I understand their place in the popular musical world), there is always going to be a set of people more interested in escapism and hedonism, and although the party is over for now, maybe a long time, it doesn’t mean they’re going to gravitate to the spiritual heirs of Woody Guthrie. As I mentioned, they probably don’t relate to troubadours with guitars. That’s old man’s music, even if some of the artists are relatively younger. If anything, look how “I Will Survive” got suddenly revived. People will gravitate to whoever or whatever they’re comfortable with, or wherever their tastes may be.

 

[micguy]

When the going gets tough, the tough go home and woodshed, only to re-emerge stronger.

 

[Bunk McNulty]

I know there is already a thread out there about COVID-19, but I want to focus in on how 2020 will be remembered in the music history books.
We may be at the beginning of this thing. Already hundreds of shows have been cancelled for local bands. Dozens of tours have been put on hold. Behind the scenes, studio time is being cancelled. Video shoots are being cancelled. Band member are questioning the wisdom of even getting together to practice.
There will undoubtedly be a glut of material written during this period because...well...what the heck else is there to do. But for the foreseeable future, doing something with that material seems to be on indefinite hold.

Will this year be the end of the "Music industry" as we know it, and everything will change over to DIY recording and distribution?
Will webcasts, live streams, and "virtual touring" become a thing?
Will there just be a dead spot in releases for 2020 and everything will go back to business (for better or worse) in 2021?
Thoughts?

A proper answer to your question would involve a political discussion. Can't do that here.

 

[Jefenator]

I think music will ultimately benefit. I can already see - and feel - an increased craving for it.
I do think that live streaming will gain some cultural traction. Already, catching some friends playing on FB live has become one of the bright points of my day. (Because, really: I need to read another dreary news article like I need another voicemail from my ex.)
I am even experiencing local some acts I hadn't previously. (In my former life I was usually out gigging myself and not inclined to go back to the "workplace" when I did get the occasional night off.)
I do also think there will be some pent up demand for real live shows when all this is finally over.
Whether my old venues will still be in business or not, that will be another story.

 

[mark roberts]

Lots of good posts here. However, as we here in possibly the whole of the USA move closer (perhaps next week w/military and National Guard enforcement) to mandatory 2-week quarantine to help stem the virus tide and “flatten the curve”, we all will be in uncharted territory. I have been doing the latter for the last three weeks already, limiting my exposure to the grocery store, hardware store and liquor store. I would prefer making music with others and the current situation makes that a waiting game. I also like to create, perform and record as a solo artist. No notoriety, just something I “need” to do. I can say, without hesitation, that as a retired-from-day-job-healthy-exercise daily-fixed income senior, I plan to use any forced limitations to public interactions as a directive to fire up the recording and get busy.

 

[2tonic]

Self imposed isolation may lead to improvements in current technology used to compose/record over the internet, perhaps allowing performances with musicians in separate locations (latency problems), maybe make it easy enough to rehearse a band or jam with some buddies.


If not, Tower of Power dropped a new release yesterday. Rocco Prestia and David Garibaldi are back.
They've enlisted Joe Vanelli (yes, Gino's brother) on keyboards, and the force is strong in them still.

That'll keep me satisfied the rest of the year, or until we become "bugless", whichever comes first.

 

[buldog5151bass]

I think when this is over, people will be starved for entertainment. Sports and music will be even more popular.

 

[Mannyinnewyork]

It will all turn out fine.

 

[socialleper]

I think when this is over, people will be starved for entertainment. Sports and music will be even more popular.

Personally, I was hoping this would break people of investing such a ridiculous amount of time on sports.

 

[socialleper]

It will all turn out fine.

Am asking what "fine" is.
Is that returning to the status quo? Is that a fundamental shift in the music biz?

 

[socialleper]

A proper answer to your question would involve a political discussion. Can't do that here.

I don't think politics are involved in this at all.
The music biz was in a precarious place financially before the COVID-19 outbreak took a big steamy dump on the entire live performance aspect of things. The long term implications of what this could mean for next year's releases is up for debate, as music that would be releases 2021 isn't being recorded now because who wants to be locked in a studio right now.
None of this has to do with politics.

 

[48thStreetCustom]

Regarding “what the people need”, please explain this:


I’m going to guess that they were not partying to Neil Young, but to dance music that sounds like an alarm clock going off, with the sound of a clothes dryer in need of repair underneath. As far as Neil, and the other artists you mentioned, have any immediately come up with songs that address the crisis, like Young did with “Let’s Roll” after 9/11? If not, they are just as behind the times as any rapper who up to February was focused on bling, but I’ll bet the hip hop lyrical content will change pretty quick. Maybe Jay-Z will donate huge sums of money to some sort of relief effort, who knows? As far as DJ music is concerned(and let the record show that neither genres are what I would call “my jams”, but I understand their place in the popular musical world), there is always going to be a set of people more interested in escapism and hedonism, and although the party is over for now, maybe a long time, it doesn’t mean they’re going to gravitate to the spiritual heirs of Woody Guthrie. As I mentioned, they probably don’t relate to troubadours with guitars. That’s old man’s music, even if some of the artists are relatively younger. If anything, look how “I Will Survive” got suddenly revived. People will gravitate to whoever or whatever they’re comfortable with, or wherever their tastes may be.

Dude, Chris Martin from Coldplay got 4.5m of his livestream of him sitting in his house alone playing acoustic over the last four days. Maybe you see it as old man music, but the numbers show how people actually think. And of course the people I mentioned are playing new songs. Dan Bern has been writing a song a day almost like a diary. And Mike Doughty is ONLY playing new music.

 

[dr doofie]

I'm always hearing the money is in the merchandising... that's a big part of why bands tour at all.

I can see where this will lead to an upsurge in bands putting a lot more work into their websites, with online shopping and subscriptions for access to more content being a way forward.

Just now I've been looking at Neil Young's Fireside Sessions, which led to me spending a couple of fun hours on his Archives website...and yes, I was tempted to shell out some money for total access. Haven't done it yet, but if my job shuts down and I'm home with a lot of free time...

...You could always work on your cartography...

 

[Michedelic]

Who knows? This may encourage enough bands to think outside the box and go find more profitable and/or enjoyable ways to ply their trade outside the abusive club and bar scene they seem to have resigned themselves to lately. Might even lead to their public rethinking how they listen to live performance. I’m thinking small live crowd venues combined with a lot more live streaming.

FWIW music experienced a huge Renaissance and came back stronger than ever following the global horror and carnage of WWII. During the counterculture turmoil of Viet Nam, music flourished and became the focal point of a large portion of a generation. Record sales boomed and concerts sprang up all over the place.

Adversity and hard times seem to encourage the creation of more and better music.

Apples and oranges; music was huge during the war(and in the previous depression decade)with the rise of the big bands. In both eras of turmoil, that kind of dance music offered an escape from the harsh realities, in spite of those realities. The only other media was film(Busby Berkeley musicals come to mind)and radio. Oddly enough, the logistics of the war destroyed the big bands(need for men, curtailing of transportation, etc)which led to the rise of smaller combos(jump blues), which in turn morphed into rock’n’roll. As well in Country, the Country Swing outfits pared down into hillbilly boogie groups(another R’n’R tributary stream)and eventually Honky Tonk, boosted by the acceptance of electric instruments. Also, in jazz, you had the emergence of the decidedly non-danceable, more intellectual Be-Bop, even as the war was still on. But the US emerged as the premier economic power house; right now, just a few weeks into this mess, we don’t know if we may be slipping into another 1929, this is a whole new era of civilization and economics. There has already been a momentous explosion in technology and communication, the ramifications we’re still trying to assess. The idea of streaming performances has already been in place, small venues were already in decline. The music explosion of the 60’s was fueled by the massive numbers of potential consumer youth of the time, The Beatles being the catalyst. Considering the state of mass media at that time, and the element of surprise that events in those days had, that probably could never happen again. What we’re in now, there’s no comparison to anything in the past, and there’s no way to predict the future.

 

[Mannyinnewyork]

Am asking what "fine" is.
Is that returning to the status quo? Is that a fundamental shift in the music biz?

Status quo? I have no idea. But I do believe we will all get through this and there will always be a place and time for arts.

 

[dr doofie]

Am asking what "fine" is.
Is that returning to the status quo? Is that a fundamental shift in the music biz?

Fine is...fine.
C’est la vie or something
I’m wondering now what the status quo is/was...

 

[mark roberts]

Am asking what "fine" is.
Is that returning to the status quo? Is that a fundamental shift in the music biz?

Actually, good question. Those who care to post what their “crystal ball” indicates will be an interesting read.

Personally, I believe we are heading into territory that will be completely new to most people as they grapple with possibly forced adaptations. Not just in the music world...in the everyday living world. How we get through that and adapt may ultimately define the totality of life for each person.

We are what we strive to be. Effort and attitude embracing a “glass half full” mind and heart set, to me, sets a good foundation. Another way of looking at it...”lemons?...make lemonade”.

Yeah. I’m old. We all will be as “fine” as we work to make it that way.

 

[mark roberts]

I don't think politics are involved in this at all.
The music biz was in a precarious place financially before the COVID-19 outbreak took a big steamy dump on the entire live performance aspect of things. The long term implications of what this could mean for next year's releases is up for debate, as music that would be releases 2021 isn't being recorded now because who wants to be locked in a studio right now.
None of this has to do with politics.

Let’s keep it that way. A blame game here will do nothing positive for art or attitudes.

 

[48thStreetCustom]

What people "need" right now is what they always "need": escapism - and for the majority Netflix will do the trick. Most people don't need music. At most they like consuming a bit of it from time to time. Unfortunately I don't see that changing anytime soon.

There's a difference between escapism and spectacle. You can escape into a James Taylor song.

 

[Michedelic]

I don't think politics are involved in this at all.
The music biz was in a precarious place financially before the COVID-19 outbreak took a big steamy dump on the entire live performance aspect of things. The long term implications of what this could mean for next year's releases is up for debate, as music that would be releases 2021 isn't being recorded now because who wants to be locked in a studio right now.
None of this has to do with politics.

Nobody’s in a studio anymore; they’re in a basement or bedroom with a laptop.