When South by Southwest pulled the plug on its international festival last year, RodeoHouston s decision to do the same was inevitable. This writer was gearing up for Gwen Stefani’s pending date when the rotating stage galloped back to its storage unit. Or wherever star-shaped rotating stages go during their off-season. The following months of every touring act postponing or cancelling their tours is now a traumatic blur. I thought: this shit is bananas.
Live shows are more than just a party. They’re milestones, benchmarks, church. Comprehending how music fans might navigate the indeterminable future without shows seemed minuscule compared to the piling tragedies occurring in the world. But even without those magical moments of dimming house lights and encore numbers, there was never any doubt that music would play a central role in navigating quarantine.