Live Performances and their Return in a Post Covid-19 World

Dec. 12, 2023

As the world shutdown in 2020 due to the Covid-19 Pandemic, one of the most impacted fields was the performing arts. Many venues and performance spaces closed due to not being able to abide by the strict social distancing guidelines of the time. This led to companies like Live Nation Entertainment only making $1.4 billion dollars in profits in 2020 compared to $9.43 billion dollars the previous year according to Marie Charlotte Götting at Statista.

People could not perform or go to these live performances, it took a toll on people emotionally and mentally. “It felt like losing a part of my identity” said Jake Facciani, a member of the synth-pop duo, Mansion Mommy, “I felt this bond with people I met at concerts that I’ve never had anywhere else- this concentrated mass of people who love the same music you love is deeper than just the music.” 

Despite many people having a negative experience with the lockdown, for some performers, it became a chance to do something creatively. Ellie Lo, a Sophomore at Virginia Tech said, “One of the biggest things that I had more time to do was practice my music, which eventually led to me writing songs.” 

Lo also joined the Outcast Brass Band in 2021 as their keyboardist and also released her first EP “Parrot Colors” due to this new found free time. 

Music became an outlet for many people during this time. A participant in a study for the National Institute of Health (NIH) said, “It does give you a little bit of an escape from the day-to-day … It’s something you, um, you can kind of set your directions.”

The NIH found that the individuals highlighted in the study were impacted positively by adding playing and making music into their day to day during the lockdown. 

As the Pandemic ended and Covid-19 restrictions were lifted, people began going to concerts again. This allowed for a much needed outlet for many people. Facciani said, “During covid, I struggled with identity issues personally and artistically, and It wasn’t until I went to my first concert post Covid- Playboi Carti in winter 2021, that I felt content/happy with myself again.”

At Virginia Tech, house shows and venues began to open back up again during the Spring of 2021. Many new musicians who had been making music throughout the pandemic also came with this return. 

Facciani began to write and make music with their friend Jeremy Small-Hawks in early 2022 and in the summer of 2023 Faccani created the duo Mansion Mommy as a way for them to share their music and perform it live. 

Since coming to Virginia Tech in the fall 2022, Lo has joined a jazz ensemble here at Virginia Tech and while taking classes for music, they have been able to learn a lot, but not make as much original music as they did during the pandemic. 

The performing arts are a major part of so many people’s lives whether they realize it or not. Lo said that they believe, “live music was one of those activities that brought people together easily” and that they have noticed a greater interest in live music and performances.

The Moss Arts Center at Virginia Tech was one of the performing arts spaces that had to close their doors for a period due to the pandemic. Over the last three years, they have put on virtual and accessible performances and continued their programming throughout the pandemic.

As they return and celebrate their 10 year anniversary, they put a heavy emphasis on student engagement and community engagement.

They shifted the bulk of their programming to be live and in person in early 2023.