If you didn’t see it over the weekend, there was a popular tweet going around showing a Lower Broadway bar filled with people having a good time; couple with the quote “Nashville is undefeated.” This is in reference to the World Health Organization, federal government and common sense advice that everyone should be practicing “social distancing” – aka Staying Away from Crowds to help curb the spread of the COVID-19 virus.
As a direct response to that, Mayor John Cooper called an emergency meeting with the Health Department and declared a public health emergency, resulting in the closure of bars and limiting capacity at restaurants. The Scene has all the nitty gritty details on the closures but, suffice to say, it was a bold move that, hopefully, forces people to get it into their heads that the current atmosphere involving the virus is not a joke.
So, this is our Public Service Announcement to remind you – Stay Inside. Yes, it’s hard and can be boring. Yes, there is a huge impact on anyone working in the hospitality and entertainment industries. We all know people that work at bars, work at venues and, surely, we all know someone in a band. That doesn’t even begin to cover the impact to the tourism industry. That said, the tradeoff is, quite literally, death. Maybe not for you personally but the likelihood that someone can pick up the virus and spread it is very high. If you need more help understanding this, check out this article.
As a community, Nashville is still reeling from the devastation wrought by the tornado of early March. Putting ourselves in the headspace of helping out however possible and then immediately being asked to do the complete opposite is hard. However, you can still help people out. Venmo your bartender friends a few dollars instead of going out to a bar. Buy some Band merch or a digital download from Bandcamp – this directly supports your artist friends. Hell, make a Spotify playlist of your favorite bands and spread the word; even exposure to their music at this point is beneficial.
We’ll be gathering up and posting some entertainment for you as incentive to be smart, be safe and keep others safe by staying inside. Here’s a running list of local music videos to entertain and delight you as a first offering: