For many prospective Huskies, one of the biggest appeals of attending the UW is the chance to live in Seattle and experience its vibrant arts scene. After all, the unique Seattle music scene boasts legends such as Pearl Jam and Jimi Hendrix.
In March 2020, however, the local scene abruptly shut down as bars and other music venues closed their doors in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Some venues have since reopened, many with tightened restrictions including masking mandates and proof of vaccination requirements for attendees.
Some venues, such as Barboza and the Kraken Bar & Lounge, returned to in-person gatherings for live music this summer. However, local artists — many of whom were heavily affected by pandemic-induced shutdowns — remain cautious about the future of live shows.
Gabriel Stranahan, the bassist of Seattle-based glam pop band Fruit Juice, spoke to how COVID-19 affected his work as an artist.
“Besides losing the money [and] the culture, I feel like I lost my sense of self and identity,” Stranahan said.
During the last year, Stranahan went from playing 20-30 shows per year to only playing two, both of which occurred in the last month. And according to Stranahan, Fruit Juice was also only able to meet in-person a handful of times to work on one song and one music video.
“A lot of artists have been streaming more, but there’s something irreplaceable with being where the sound is,” Stranahan said. “Live music has been such a large part of my life for 14 years.”
Established bands struggled to keep up with the challenges posed by a shift to virtual gatherings. However, up-and-coming solo artists like Normal Cory, a beatmaker and barista at Cafe Solstice whose name is Cory Higgins off-stage, have had an easier time adapting.
Higgins, in lieu of live performances, shifted to streaming his live performances on Instagram.
“I'm just always grateful if there's even one person actually viewing it live,” Higgins said.
Higgins acknowledged knowing that there would be a long transition back to in-person gatherings, but he is eager for the opportunity to push himself and grow as a musician in anticipation of a return to live performances.
“My ultimate goal is to make 16 songs a day,” Higgins said. “Obviously that's a struggle, but there's something really beautiful about doing that.”
Higgins works a day job outside of his music career, so the pandemic did not deal as great of a financial hit to him as local venues underwent months of state-mandated lockdowns and bands across the city began claiming unemployment.
Liam Quigley, who plays with Spliff Bishop and books shows in the U-District, spoke to his financial struggles during the pandemic.
“Unvaccinated people are taking away the scene [and] they’re contributing to my unemployment,” Quigley said.
Quigley, who played roughly two shows per week before the pandemic, reported a near total loss of income. Without a regular schedule of shows, most of which usually pay around $50, Quigley struggled to cover daily living expenses. Still, while some venues are returning to in-person shows, many artists remain cautious due to the lax enforcement of vaccination requirements and other health and safety policies.
Artists who have since played in-person described the discomfort of the experience.
“It still felt viscerally uncomfortable,” Stranahan said. “It felt weird to have fun.”
Stranahan, who played at the Pink Castle on Aug. 13, was alarmed by the attendance of about 100 people. Even more unsettling, however, was that his later show — one which required a proof of vaccination status — did not check him or any bandmates to verify they were vaccinated before the show, an operational neglect that bodes poorly for the future of live music gatherings.
“I anticipate a lot of venues closing down,” Stranahan said.
This grim reality, despite the efforts of local organizations such as Keep Music Live Washington, manifests further as venues see rent deferred rather than forgiven, as they remain unable to safely host musicians and show attendees. The loss of venues will prove to be an irrecoverable hit to the culture and sense of community fostered by live, local music in Seattle.
“I kind of realized that a lot of my music has to do with my day-to-day life, and [that] it’s a connection to my community,” Higgins said.
Stranahan noted that the few bands able to land shows during the pandemic were those booked for private events such as weddings who, more often than not, are cover bands rather than independent artists taking creative risks.
Even buskers, who play independently on the streets of Seattle, are appearing less frequently, instead shifting to teaching and other sources of revenue outside of live music. The absence of music in every neighborhood and across venues points to an ongoing loss of Seattle’s unique culture. However, the sense of loss has also drummed up enthusiasm among the public to support and seek out performances from their favorite musicians in more unconventional ways.
“I think that's one beautiful thing about Seattle, is that people are so excited for [live music],” Higgins said.
Higgins anticipates playing live at Mercury when it is deemed safe to reopen. In the meantime, his tracks can be found on YouTube and Spotify, with the occasional livestreams on Instagram. Even if you can’t join for an in-person dance party, Normal Cory has playlists ready to have you or your cat dancing their tail off.
“These things that got shut down are not essential [by state guidelines], but in another way [they’re essential for] our mental health,” Higgins said. “There's something about music that really fulfills us.”
The best way to support local artists and bands during the pandemic is to directly support them on BandCamp. Stranahan noted that on the first Friday of every month, 100% of the proceeds go back to artists on BandCamp, as opposed to other streaming platforms where artists don’t see revenue from their music.
“Don’t wait until bars open back up,” Stranahan said.
Besides directly supporting artists, it is important that everyone interested in attending live shows ensures they are fully vaccinated. For information on the COVID-19 vaccine and where to get yours, visit vaccines.gov.
“Do it now or say goodbye to music,” Quigley said.
Reach writer Julie Emory at pacificwave@dailyuw.com. Twitter: @JulieEmory2
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