Simeon Marie
The pandemic has hit full-time performing musicians especially hard. There are very few places to perform and in-person audiences are sparse, at best.
WGLT queried some central Illinois musicians to understand how they have adapted.
“As a folk singer I complain a lot. I’m going to do a lot less complaining, I know that,” chuckled Cody Diekhoff, a native of Delavan who now lives in Bloomington-Normal. He plays and records as Chicago Farmer and had just returned home from touring on his new album Flyover Country when the pandemic began. Plans to head back out … ended.
“I can’t wait to get back at it and have all those hardships again,” said Diekhoff. “I’d do just about anything to have them back right now to be honest.”