Random Thread ~Usagi-Chan ☮ Tūsurī~

[CaptainBerryzGiraffe]

Going to see my favorite band Dragonforce play this sunday in NY, first concert since the MM concert in 2015, because i've had horrible luck with tour cancellations and funzies from every concert I've tried going to since then. I'm very excited!!!

[erilaz]

I managed to hit three concerts in March: Sparks (my first time), CHAI (my fifth time), and Penelope Houston (my thirty-first time). I've had tickets for two other concerts this year, but both of them got postponed: one until next month, the other until October.

Next up: Baby Bushka, a Kate Bush tribute group, on April 18th.

[Zunu]

CHAI is the only one of those three I've heard of (and listened to.)

I went to see an old favorite of mine in concert last week, Marisa Monte. She's a Brazilian artist who doesn't tour the US often, and I've never seen her live before.
She was phenomenal, exceeding my dreams, especially with the energy of the crowd, which knew most of her songs by heart.

Spoiler: show

The venue had a mandatory mask policy but it appears I somehow caught covid there anyway after meticulously avoiding it for the past two years.
To be perfectly honest, this was a once-in-a-lifetime experience and I regret nothing

[TotallyUncool]

Those all sound like good gigs!

[boinsie]

Glad you enjoyed the concert, and I hope you're feeling ok, Zuun!

[Zunu]

Not too bad, thanks!

[esm]

I'm going to see Poppy this Sunday. It's the same ticket from a while back but the show was rescheduled.

Last Sunday I saw Mitski. It's my first concert since last July, and I didn't realize her fans were crazy af like camping out overnight in windy 30 degree weather to get in line early (most people here don't tolerate cold weather that well). I also have tickets for the following: Charli XCX (in Atlanta), Sigur Ros, Tove Lo, Belle & Sebastian and Japanese Breakfast (two of my favorites in one!). They all have been my favorite artists for years so I'm excited.

I would have bought more tickets, but I'm tentatively moving to Atlanta in the summer so I can't plan too far ahead.

[erilaz]

Re COVID restrictions:

The concerts that I attended in March in San Francisco all required proof of vaccination for entry, but masking was iffy inside. Two were at smaller clubs where a fair number of people were unmasked for eating and drinking, but even at the larger concert (Sparks at the 2300-seat Warfield), where drinking was predominantly in the bar and not in the concert hall, only about half the people were masked during the show. Official policy in San Francisco since March 11th is that vaccinated people are no longer required to be masked at indoor events, but if unvaccinated people are allowed inside, policing the mandate becomes effectively impossible and unvaccinated people have to be trusted to wear masks on their honor. It will be interesting to see how this works at the Vintage Paper Fair this weekend, where they will be checking vaccination status but apparently not turning unvaxxed people away.

One of my shows next month (The Warning) is at a small club in Berkeley, where proof of vaccination is no longer required to enter restaurants, bars, and small-scale events. The Baby Bushka show in San Francisco is at a small venue (capacity 400) that is still requiring vax proof, but masking is optional.

[esm]

I've heard of several people getting Covid here recently. I'm sure the number of cases is underreported right now because at-home rapid tests have become the norm, and people are probably not getting tested unless they have symptoms based on the perceived low risk. In DC there's only one public testing site left for PCR tests. Vaccinated people can easily get the omicron variant. It's just mild. But tbh the fact that I work at a school in person every day means I'm kind of used to people around me testing positive all the time.

Ooh, for the Cherry Blossom Festival in DC they have a Sakura Matsuri Japanese Street Festival next weekend, so I'm going to check it out.

[Moh]

My first concert in 8 years is in Portland, Oregon, on the 20th. The venue announced they're no longer requiring proof of vaccination so I'm feeling a little about that. I know even with restrictions you can still catch COVID, I simply just think it's weird that a lot of people and places are seemingly acting like it no longer exists. But that's just my opinion!

I started physical therapy this week for my neck and upper back; there are signs inside saying masks are required but I haven't seen a single person inside wearing one.