For Those Not About to Rock...

I had a growing quandary, as this past week was slowly unfurling, as to whether I was going to attend a show scheduled to happen this evening at St. Vitus in Brooklyn. A record-release gig for Human Impact, a veritable NYC noise-rock supergroup of former members of SWANS, The Unsane and -- wait for it -- my beloved Cop Shoot Cop, this was promising to be an event practically tailor-made for my predilections.

I was super gung-ho, for a while, even when my longtime comrade Rob D. had to bail, being that the Connecticut university that employs him issued a strict out-of-state travel ban for the conceivable future. That was a bummer, but I was still looking forward to the show.

As events developed, however, I started to suspect that the concert was going to be cancelled, especially in the wake of edicts by Mayor De Blasio and a couple of fatuously botched addresses from our embarrassment of a president.

But it wasn't.

I was starting to have flashbacks to 2012, when the outer bands of Hurricane Sandy were threatening to arrive the same evenings as a SWANS gig at the Bowery Ballroom. Given their steely resolve and, possibly, bloody-minded iron will, SWANS refused to cancel that gig, as you might recall. It ended up being one of the most amazing live-music experiences of my life.

But this situation is different.

After much head-scratching and a few "should I or shouldn't I?" threads on social media, I decided I'm not going, as much as it saddens me. Out of respect for the collective effort to "flatten the curve," I am going to stay put. I don't necessarily believe I'd be at risk to contract the virus at said gig, but ... y'know, what the Hell do I know? I wouldn't want to become a carrier for it either and risk spreading it around, even if I didn't develop any symptoms myself.

I want to support touring bands and independent clubs, but the risks, considerations and the anxieties involved are outweighing everything. If you go -- be safe and considerate.

I want to have faith that we'll have this opportunity again.

Be safe. Be smart. Look out for each other. Get through this.