Written by Zachary Franck
A lot has changed since the COVID-19 pandemic hit the country (and world). Few industries have been hit as hard as the live music industry. They were the first ones to shut down, and as it looks now, they’ll be the last ones to start back up. Touring acts (and production teams) in the live music scene have been taking huge losses, and a lot of people are out of work. These musicians cannot rely on album sales like mainstream artists. Every summer, these bands travel all over the country to play festival sets in front of thousands - all that vanished in the blink of an eye. Lotus is one of those bands. Not only did they miss out on multiple dates, they’re also unable to throw their annual festival, Summerdance.
Various bands, along with their teams, quickly began to troubleshoot and figure out safe alternatives. The Colorado four-piece, The Magic Beans, lead the way. They took a risk, pivoting and moving their annual Beanstalk Music Festival to a Colorado drive-in over the course of two weekends. It was a major success. Now, some of the bigger players have entered the party; Live Nation, one of the titans of the event production world has joined in on the movement. Their concert series, Live In/Drive In, started in August and will go through the end of September.
It’s a shame that Lotus fans are missing out on five sets at Nelson Ledges Quarry Park in Garrettsville, Ohio. There is definitely a silver lining though. They’ll be able to catch two sets outside of Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia this Friday, September 4th. After Pigeons Playing Ping Pong executed a successful event on the same stage, it’s looking like the upcoming Lotus show will be a shimmer of hope in an otherwise dark atmosphere. It might not be Summerdance, but it’s a Lotus show and at the moment that is all that matters. Fans are traveling to Philly from all over the country and are most definitely appreciative that they get to experience their favorite band in a live setting, even with the new restrictions.
Coming off the release of their new album Free Swim, the five-piece is prepared to deliver multiple debuts along with some classics from their catalogue. It seems that the band is pleased with the positive reactions to the new album. Some of the songs that stand out are Catacombs, Turtlehead, Sepia Rainbow, Straight Blade, and Land of the Lush. Guitarist/Keyboardist Luke Miller is the principal setlist writer and always does a pretty good job of mixing up songs from the past and present, so fans can expect Friday’s show to be well-balanced and exploratory.
Unfortunately, the world as we know it has been altered. 2020 has been a sea of negativity, so when you can catch a wave of positivity, ride it for as long as you can. Live music is vital to the psyche of a lot of human beings – no matter how big or small the production. It brings release to the anxiety and depression that is currently running rampant. If you’re attending Friday’s show, you should realize how blessed you are to be able to experience such a thing. Be safe and enjoy yourself. And to Lotus, the fans thank you for giving us this opportunity to reconnect with friends through your music. See everyone on the dancefloor… I mean, parking lot.
