These last few weeks have really been an eye opener in so many ways.
It's easy to see that it's not cheap to live a healthy life here in the United States. All you have to do is go to a grocery store and compare the organic to non-organic prices. Items on the McDonald's dollar value menu are cheaper than most store bought food and a lot more accessible to those living in low income communities. Furthermore, fast-food chains like devout Southern Baptist owned and operated Chic-Fil-A promote homophobia and the Christian run In & Out has shown their support for Trump by donating thousands of dollars to him over the years. We all know now what Trump supports but can everyone afford not to support these businesses?
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As our country started reopening, the whole world saw a serge of COVID-19 cases across America simply because Americans refuse to wear masks. And the people who don't wear masks aren't getting tested for COVID-19 until it's too late (ie: they've gone around spreading their germs because they continue to go out with out a mask on not knowing they're infected therefore infecting other people).
Did you know that the poor and minority communities are at greater risk? Not just of COVID-19 but every disease, especially infectious ones. Think about it. Health care, access to healthy food and clean drinking water, good living conditions/environments, those all cost money. Add being diagnosed, hospitalization, medication and everything that comes along with getting sick when you're poor, broke, struggling, unemployed, homeless...
Some people can't afford to buy a mask, provide their family with masks or wash their mask regularly and some people can but refuse not to (did someone say, privileged?).
Now think about systemic racism. If you're a poor minority in the United States how do you get ahead and take care or yourself? How do we take care of these communities when the infrastructure in which we live doesn't want to take care of them? One of the easiest things to do right now, to help them against COVID-19, is to wear a mask.
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musicians supporting Noise For Now + Seeding Sovereignty campain from left: Fiona Apple, TV on The Radio, Bon Iver, Kim Gordon and Alexis Kraus |
Last week musicians like, Fiona Apple, Kim Gordon of Sonic Youth, Bon Iver, Alexis Krauss of Sleigh Bells, Cat Power, TV On The Radio, Fleet Foxes, Dirty Projectors and more started voicing their support for the Noise For Now + Seeding Sovereignty campaign.
Noise For Now links touring musicians, promoters and local reproductive rights organizations in cities across the country and Seeding Sovereignty is an Indigenous womxn led collective working to shift social and environmental patterns from colonial institutions to Indigenous practices created in synchronicity with the land.
A note from Noise For Now: "COVID-19 has exposed our country's chronic systemic injustices; rates of infection are rising in overburdened Indigenous communities who lack PPE, healthcare, running water and food. Meanwhile, politicians have used the pandemic to impose state-level restrictions on abortion access and forced temporary health center closures, making it even more difficult for many families to access care. This disproportionately impacts people with low incomes, people of color, and those living in extremely rural communities.
Here's how you can help: for every purchase of a Noise For Now + Seeding Sovereignty mask or bandana, one mask will be donated to Seeding Sovereignty's Indigenous Impact Community Care Initiative for distribution to COVID-19 impacted Pueblos and reservations. Their masks and bandanas are sustainably made by Suay Sew Shop and can be purchased at noisefornow.org/shop.
Cash donations will also be made to Seeding Sovereignty's mutual aid and abortion funds that serve Indigenous and undocumented people."
Do you like live music? Do you enjoying going to concerts? Would you like to go to a concert at your favorite local music venue when it's safe to do so? The longer people do not wear masks, the longer the lock down will last. Concerts are one of few things in the last phase of re-opening and they were one of the first things to go at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The longer music venues stay closed the less likely it is they will re-open when they're allowed to do so (and when tours resume).
Music venues are experiencing upwards of 90% revenue loss and will be closed well into 2021 due to safety concerns posed by large social gatherings. This effects the entire music eco-system: artists, talent agents, bookers, tour managers, artist managers, venue managers, venue staff, stage hands, security, catering, artist hospitality, tour bus industry, production, radio/social media/TV/print advertising, record companies and so many more have been un-employed for 4 months with no end in sight.
How can you help?
1. wear a mask
2. contact your Senators and Representatives and let them know you support NIVA
(National Independent Venue Association)
Don't know who your Senators or Reps are or what to say? Go to www.saveourstages.com, put in your info and they do ALL of the work for you: find your Senators and Representative, generate the email and send the email. They provide you with phone numbers to call, too!
It's as easy as wearing a mask.
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| masks designed by The Kills |
Speaking of masks and NIVA, rock N roll duo The Kills have designed masks! All proceeds from sales of masks by The Kills go to NIVA and the #saveourstages initiative which is helping to save independent music venues around the country who are struggling to keep their venues from permanent closer!
Good news is that The Kills started selling their masks last week on their website www.thekills.tv and are already sold-out! More good news is that more masks from The Kills to support NIVA and #saveourstages will be on-sale again soon.
In the mean time, keep fighting the good fight by wearing a mask, sending emails and making calls to save our stages. There's also NIVA merch for sale that helps their cause, too.
I'd love to see you at show someday!
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| Alison Mosshart of The Kills |
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