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Country Music: Covid Culture War New Front: Jason Isbell, Stars Require Vax, Neg. Test For Concerts
- Jason Isbell, NYC. 2013. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jason_Isbell
- 'We arent all dumb hillbillies: how Covid caused a rift in country music.' Country stars such as Jason Isbell have received backlash for insisting on safety at their concerts, exposing an age-old political divide. The Guardian, Aug. 16, 2021. - Ed.
We have the ability to limit the number of people who get sick. So I can handle pushback from anyone refusing that, because I believe I am correct, Jason Isbell says. The Covid-19 culture war has a new front: country music. Be it the Nashville establishment or up-and-comers in adjacent roots, folk and Americana genres, numerous artists are taking a stand about concert pandemic precautions, often along partisan lines. Jason Isbell has become one of the most prominent musicians to step into the fray.
The Grammy-winning independent alt-country artist who has released acclaimed albums like Southeastern and last years Reunions rowed with some venues and vitriolic Twitter users, while also eliciting praise, after announcing on 9 Aug. that proof of a Covid-19 vaccination or a negative test was mandatory for his show-goers. We have the ability to limit the number of people who get sick. So I can handle pushback from anyone refusing that, because I believe I am correct, Isbell said. If venues dont comply, he has vowed not to play, leading to a canceled show and a relocated one.
When asked about the canceled performance, the president and CEO of Houstons Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion said they commended Isbell and wanted to implement his measures, but were not allotted enough time, though Isbell has tweeted that is false and the venue flat-out refused. Its by no means the only dispute Isbell has taken head-on since his announcement he also re-tweeted and rebuked numerous naysayers, who have called him everything from an extreme leftist POS to a rich elitist who is excluding marginalized fans. Isbell is certainly not the only musician faced with Delta variant complications.
While Eric Clapton recently refused to play concerts where proof of vaccination is required, Stevie Nicks scrapped her US tour because of pandemic spikes. Other acts as wide ranging as Dead & Co, Maroon 5 and Foo Fighters are requiring attendees to provide proof of vaccination. Were amplified when were untied. And a lot of people have reached out to say theyre grateful we spoke out, Isbell says. Yet his efforts in particular have become a lightning rod for a genre that not only had some of its popular acts defy concert pandemic restrictions, but also saw numerous fans rally behind racial slur-uttering artist Morgan Wallen. Back in 2015, conservative politician Ted Cruz praised country music for its nationalistic response to 9/11...
More,
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2021/aug/16/we-arent-all-dumb-hillbillies-covid-rift-country-music
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Country Music: Covid Culture War New Front: Jason Isbell, Stars Require Vax, Neg. Test For Concerts (Original Post)
appalachiablue
Aug 2021
OP
viva la
(3,224 posts)1. Good for them.
That's going to be risky for their careers.
appalachiablue
(41,047 posts)2. Doing right, glad to see this- it takes guts.