The New York Times Magazine - USA (2021-11-14)

10 11.14.

Opening page: Screen grab from YouTube. Above: Taylor Hill/Getty Images; Scott Dudelson/Getty Images; Rich

Screenland

Photo illustration by Mark Harris

reanimating the ghost of the blues in
each. Among the vibrating, blissed-out
audience, gathered in Chicago’s Union
Park, one of the only masks visible is
hanging forgotten from a chin.
Weeks later, Bartees Strange played
in Brooklyn, opening for the singer-
songwriter Lucy Dacus. It was one of the
most ferocious sets I’d ever seen an opener
perform, living up to that festival video’s
promise. Just after he and his band left
the stage, as my friend and I were shar-
ing awed reactions to what we had seen,
her speech started slurring, and she col-
lapsed to the fl oor. She had tripped on her

shoelace, she explained bashfully. In fact

she had fainted, overwhelmed to be at her

fi rst live music event in almost two years.

We got her to her feet, and she left the

venue with her husband. Those of us who

remained tried to get back to anticipating

Dacus’s set, but we had been very suddenly

reminded of where, and when, we were.

Going to concerts is part of my job,

and by this time I had watched live music

return to New York on a tide of nervous

giggles. The show was my fi fth time back at

the Brooklyn Steel venue since its reopen-

ing in August. On my fi rst visit, I met a guy

in the bathroom as we both searched for a

working soap dispenser, and when I asked

how he was fi nding the show, he said he’d

thought there would be more dancing. I

had, too. But at every concert I attended,

every audience member seemed deter-

minedly on their P’s and Q’s — eager to

show compliance with vaccine mandates,

masking etiquette and the wishes of the

performers we were so glad to see. The

musicians, too, seemed like oddly formal

versions of their pre pandemic selves.

Sets were gracious and timely and care-

fully obeyed all noise-related regulations.

We in the audience tried to defer any

questions about whether it was wise for

Was ever y th ing

good happening

at the shows I

was n’ t goi ng to?