Days of Rona: Michael Miller of Pale Grey Lore
The statistics of COVID-19 change with every news cycle, and with growing numbers, stay-at-home isolation and a near-universal disruption to society on a global scale, it is ever more important to consider the human aspect of this coronavirus. Amid the sad surrealism of living through social distancing, quarantines and bans on gatherings of groups of any size, creative professionals — artists, musicians, promoters, club owners, techs, producers, and more — are seeing an effect like nothing witnessed in the last century, and as humanity as a whole deals with this calamity, some perspective on who, what, where, when and how we’re all getting through is a needed reminder of why we’re doing so in the first place.
Thus, Days of Rona, in some attempt to help document the state of things as they are now, both so help can be asked for and given where needed, and so that when this is over it can be remembered.
Thanks to all who participate. To read all the Days of Rona coverage, click here. — JJ Koczan
Days of Rona: Michael Miller of Pale Grey Lore (Columbus, Ohio)
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How are you dealing with this crisis as a band? Have you had to rework plans at all? How is everyone’s health so far?
The COVID-19 crisis definitely blindsided us. You can be vaguely aware that humanity is about due for another once-in-century pandemic, but it’s not something you tend to factor into the planning equation when you’re going about daily life, you know? We’d been asked to play the SXSW Spider Ball in Austin, which was supposed to take place on March 20, and we built a small tour around it with additional stops in Arlington, Houston, and New Orleans. This was going to be our first time venturing down to play that part of the country and we were very excited for the trip.
News reports largely downplayed the virus at first, suggesting it wasn’t really that serious and comparing it to the common flu. But it soon became clear that this virus was far more dangerous than that. By early March, music festivals and large gatherings were getting cancelled and infection rates were escalating in Europe. Shortly thereafter, the World Health Organization officially declared it a global pandemic. We announced on March 13 via social media that our tour had been cancelled and urged folks to comply with CDC guidance on good hygiene and social distancing.
So far, all members of the band are healthy and virus-free. We’re doing our best to limit our exposure and flatten the curve.
What are the quarantine/isolation rules where you are?
Ohio began by imposing a 100 person cap on mass gatherings on March 12. The closure of all bars and restaurants was announced on March 15, which of course included music venues. There was supposed to be a primary election on St. Patrick’s Day, but the governor closed the polling stations and tried to get the election rescheduled for June. (That didn’t work and now voters have to vote absentee by mail.) Then, on March 22, they issued the “stay-at-home” order which requires everyone to isolate at home unless you’re doing some “essential” activity, like getting groceries, caring for family, or working a job deemed essential. The order is supposed to be in place until May 1, but it’s likely to be extended further.
How have you seen the virus affecting the community around you and in music?
The community seems to understand the importance of these social distancing measures to stop the spread of the disease. But people are scared. There’s just so much uncertainty right now. What’s going to happen to our venues? Can they survive this? What about all the bartenders, sound engineers, and other staff? How are they supposed to pay rent and feed their families when they can’t work? Everyone is in a state of panic and grave concern. Nobody knows what’s next.
What is the one thing you want people to know about your situation, either as a band, or personally, or anything?
We want everyone to continue to do their part to curb the spread of the coronavirus so that the strain on health professionals isn’t increased even further. Countless deaths can be prevented if we all do the right thing. So wash your damn hands, don’t touch your face, and stay inside!
As a band, we are still adjusting to this strange new world. Even though we can’t get together physically, we are still writing individually and sharing ideas. We’re also putting together a quarantine playlist that we’ll be posting on social media, so look out for that soon. At some point, live music will be a thing again. Until then, we are brainstorming ways to engage with our audience, and we’ll announce any and all plans on our social media pages.
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