The devastation felt by Eugene music lovers when COVID-19 took down the grimy, sweaty, sardine-packed concerts of the DIY house show scene in 2020 was slowly healed by the return of live music last fall.
Once more the sound of live music could be heard in the streets, blocks away from the actual venue. Even if the presence of masks and requirement of vaccine cards reminded you of the existence of a pandemic, the return of a much-beloved scene was enough to heal members of the music community.
That is until the omicron variant hit in January, forcing show cancellations and empty weekend calendars once more.
During the week of Oct. 18, 2021 to Oct. 24, 2021, a UO email reported 23 members of the campus community had tested positive or “were considered presumptive positive.” However, during the week of Jan. 24 to Jan. 30 of 2022, 250 people in the UO community tested positive or were considered positive. This is a decrease from the previous week when 378 people tested positive or were considered positive.
Billy Titko, frontwoman for the relatively new local band Billy and the Kidz, said the band was feeling really inspired from constant performances just before omicron.
“When you’re playing shows every month, it makes you want to write more music and it pushes your creative juices,” Titko said. “You learn so much about yourselves when you’re performing together all the time because it’s a different energy than practice.”
Titko said the sudden halt in the music scene affected the mental health of all the band members — they were riding high, and then suddenly forced to stop.
“Having that crash made everybody feel depressed,” Titko said. “And the inspiration hasn’t felt as strong.”
However, local bands are not the only ones whose mental health has taken a dip with the pause on the music scene. Arian Latta, a freshman at Lane Community College who’s new to Eugene and a frequent attendee of local concerts, has also felt more down since omicron took away her fun weekend plans.
“I’ve been so depressed lately,” Latta said. “I miss being able to go out and have those events to do with friends — to feel like I’m actually in college.”
Outside of mental health, the pause on shows has affected bands in a logistical way. Concerts are essential to networking and getting a name out there — thus a stop on concerts disproportionately hits newer bands, like Billy and the Kidz, who are still trying to build a reputation.
“You can only practice in your garage for so long before the only way you’re gonna grow is being in front of a crowd,” Titko said. Gigs may not matter as much to those who want to focus on studio production.
Concerts play a critical role for growth in the DIY scene, as they are the best opportunities for networking and building a fan base. In the case of Billy and the Kidz, the entire growth of the band happened due to a singular invitation from local band Ant Jello to perform their first gig in October 2021. Each subsequent gig has been booked through networking at the band’s performances.
Another consequence of the omicron variant, Titko said, is an exposure of tension and judgment in the scene, in terms of bands who are currently still performing and bands that are not. While most bands have taken a break from performing due to safety concerns surrounding the COVID-19 spike, some are continuing to perform.
“I’ve heard other bands having opinions about bands that are still playing and not being cautious, and at the same time I’ve heard bands that are still playing saying things about bands that aren’t playing — the kind of ‘we need to keep live music going’ mentality,” Titko said, adding the importance of mutual support between local bands.
Titko said she understands the desperation to play, but she also said a lot of the college scene repeatedly says they will have safety precautions such as masks and vaccination requirements but doesn’t follow through. She said this is a reason the scene is in the position it’s in.
“People want to play, so they play. And people want to go, so they go,” Titko said. “But they aren’t thinking about the necessary consequences.” Titko is referring to hosting crowded concerts that will likely spread COVID-19 during a spike in cases.
Paige McLaughlin, a UO student and house venue owner, is more inclined to attend concerts — just doing so responsibly.
“Being young and having COVID hit, there’s not a lot to look forward to,” McLaughlin said. “So I think as long as you’re safe about it and being responsible, I’m definitely leaning toward the side of you gotta just live life.”
McLaughlin also said it’s important to get vaccinated and boosted, especially if you want to go out to events like house shows, and outdoor venues are preferable to maintain a safe environment.
McLaughlin, Titko and Latta all agree: It will likely be safer to attend and host concerts once the COVID-19 numbers drop to where they were in the fall.
While the omicron variant has overall put a dent in the hopes of local music enthusiasts for this year, the idea of a safe return once the spike in cases goes down is the light at the end of the tunnel for the DIY music scene.
