ODDS OF A 2021 NOJF?

[Nancy10016]

I'm not sure if it's been covered elsewhere, but should we expect a less crowded festival due to a reduced amount of tickets being sold or will social distancing not be an issue by October?

I think they'll sell it as an outside event- if it's 'socially distanced' it could be 3' not 6' or they could require either a vaccine card or a negative covid test, we'll have to see how things evolve, but they'll have to make a call on at least the minimum number of tickets to sell before putting them on sale- they can always add more tickets if the numbers keep going down.
And while I don't think they will require masks- there will probably still be a bunch of people wearing them.

[Nancy10016]

In Quint & Co I trust. My concern is acts from other countries not being able to get into The US.

As much as I'm concerned about what bands won't be able to get into the US, I'm more concerned about our friends who might not be able to...

[Gards]

As much as I'm concerned about what bands won't be able to get into the US, I'm more concerned about our friends who might not be able to...

Hi Gang thanks for the kind words.

The problem that I have is that I would only possibly be able to get to the USA via New Zealand by late October or by one on of the few covid safe countries that we may have travel bubbles set up with by then, EG Singapore.
Getting home is the biggest drama as the way things are at present there are no plans for normal flights to be doing that.
And If I could get home, I would then be forced to undergo a 2 week Hotel quarantine at my own expense, unless conclusive evidence arrives in the interim that proves being vaccinated stops you from both obtaining and spreading the virus.
So sadly a late October wedding is a longshot at the moment, we just have to keep our fingers crossed that people will use their brains and keep getting vaccinated.

[ozzie]

Hi Gang thanks for the kind words.

The problem that I have is that I would only possibly be able to get to the USA via New Zealand by late October or by one on of the few covid safe countries that we may have travel bubbles set up with by then, EG Singapore.
Getting home is the biggest drama as the way things are at present there are no plans for normal flights to be doing that.
And If I could get home, I would then be forced to undergo a 2 week Hotel quarantine at my own expense, unless conclusive evidence arrives in the interim that proves being vaccinated stops you from both obtaining and spreading the virus.
So sadly a late October wedding is a longshot at the moment, we just have to keep our fingers crossed that people will use their brains and keep getting vaccinated.

Didn’t they crash the flight leap-frogging thing? I’d be so happy for you if you could make it work.

I literally JUST looked at flights from Busselton to Melb for Patry Tuesday. Figured we should at least round up Pete and his bride and have a few drinks and giggles. It’s a new route for Jetstar and nice cheap/ish prices to fly over Mon and back Wed. Had a little niggle that you’ll be plotting some way to make a Fest Wedding work and didn’t press go. Yet. Keep me posted.

[mateus]

I think they'll sell it as an outside event- if it's 'socially distanced' it could be 3' not 6' or they could require either a vaccine card or a negative covid test, we'll have to see how things evolve, but they'll have to make a call on at least the minimum number of tickets to sell before putting them on sale- they can always add more tickets if the numbers keep going down.
And while I don't think they will require masks- there will probably still be a bunch of people wearing them.

I think keeping social distance at every stage would be very complicated. That's probably one of the challenges that keep some uncertainty as to whether it will happen. There's really no point in limiting tickets if you can't also control how many people are accessing each stage. And that control would be much harder to do, and probably problematic with people not being able to see the shows they paid for. My thinking is that they will only go through if they don't think this kind of control will be necessary, meaning no limit in tickets sold other than whatever they already have, and not any need for distancing in the stages.

[HankAndLeeStamper]

I think keeping social distance at every stage would be very complicated. That's probably one of the challenges that keep some uncertainty as to whether it will happen. There's really no point in limiting tickets if you can't also control how many people are accessing each stage. And that control would be much harder to do, and probably problematic with people not being able to see the shows they paid for. My thinking is that they will only go through if they don't think this kind of control will be necessary, meaning no limit in tickets sold other than whatever they already have, and not any need for distancing in the stages.

You also have to consider that some of these festival are certain to have a reduced footprint this fall due to less sponsor money, less revenue on hand with no fests last year, etc, and thus there will be fewer stages. Mix in fewer stages and theres no shot at any type of social distancing. You go cause it's safe or you don't cause it's not, but I don't suspect there are going to be "rules" in the form of vax cards, distancing, or masks..... Just one guy's opinion.........

[ericactive]

2021 Tours are slowly being announced. Blues Traveler, Lord Huron, Trampled by Turtles, Zac Brown

There are lots of 2021 festivals scheduled with bands that have played/could play NOJF.

A few...
https://www.greenriverfestival.com/lineup
https://www.wonderstruckfest.com/
https://www.hinterlandiowa.com/

More here: https://www.musicfestivalwizard.com/...Dec+31%2C+2022

Live music is coming back strong!

[swag]

Some festivals (like Hogs) are limiting attendance and making up for it with significantly higher ticket prices. But that's not an option for Jazzfest, since many have locked in 2020 pricing by rolling last year's tickets forward. So attendance will be similar to what we're used to; I suppose they may limit to, for instance, 75K/day if they have to, but they won't limit it to 25K. And with crowds like that at the big stages, there's no way they will be able enforce distancing.

To some extent, the crowds at the big stages self-distance. Those hated 8x10 tarps define each pods space. The SRO area is an exception and may need to be addressed, but hopefully just being outdoors will provide the necessary safety.

The Tents are more problematic, being shoulder to shoulder with strangers with limited airflow, and if there's significant changes to the fest footprint, that's where I'd expect 'em.

[chopitulas]

It seems to me it would be difficult to square the circle if attendance were not limited but access into the tents was. The Blues Tent has always had overcrowding issues and tension when crowd control is enforced.. And there is no social distancing up front at the big stages.

I don't see the Festival moving forward unless it can be held as usual. Too many difficulties trying to control a festival situation spread out over the Fairgrounds.

But I could see proof of vaccinations being required for entry.

[Gards]

Didn’t they crash the flight leap-frogging thing? I’d be so happy for you if you could make it work.

I literally JUST looked at flights from Busselton to Melb for Patry Tuesday. Figured we should at least round up Pete and his bride and have a few drinks and giggles. It’s a new route for Jetstar and nice cheap/ish prices to fly over Mon and back Wed. Had a little niggle that you’ll be plotting some way to make a Fest Wedding work and didn’t press go. Yet. Keep me posted.

They do not have the power to stop you flying out to the States or any other countries that have been and are still Covid hot spots from one of the so called bubble countries, but the Govt has basically tried to make it illegal and they have said not to do it and that they have legislated so they will probably not have to let you back in for years if you do.
Patry Party sounds like some compensation if I end up am stuck here, and a couple of other Patry regulars live a few hundred yards down the street from me, and they would be up for it, as I reckon Pete and Christie would be.

[fesstgeek]

The only negative that I can see.

Is that thus far from what I have read is that there is no definitive proof yet that says that if you have been fully vaccinated you cannot still spread the virus to others.

I am still a bit concerned that vaccinated people from parts of the States or elsewhere could still spread mutant strains, if they have been unlucky to get contaminated on a plane or a hotel etc. They could bring things to Nola and or conversely take something back home with them.

I obviously will be delighted if future testing results indicate that fully vaccinated people have a minimal chance of spreading the virus.

Being vaccinated strongly protects against severe COVID disease, implying the virus doesn't replicate well in vaccinated people. Proof that no infection of another person will occur is never going to be obtained, one instance would disprove that. But vaccinated people have vanishingly little to fear from each other or non-vaccinated people. Nasty variants may arise necessitating booster shots or even revised vaccines, but so far the vaccines seem to work on the current variants. By summer's end, U.S. adults, and likely most children if the current age of eligibility expansion continues, should have had the opportunity to get vaccinated. I'm not inclined to limit whatever life I have left for the benefit of the willfully unvaccinated, who will be the people really at risk.

[Mezztastic]

https://saintswire.usatoday.com/2021...eek-jazz-fest/ This is a positive sign...

[resmp]

I have a suggestion. How about this year instead of Grand Marshall and Big Chief, we have a Vaxster area - right up front if you've been jabbed.

[swag]

I have a suggestion. How about this year instead of Grand Marshall and Big Chief, we have a Vaxster area - right up front if you've been jabbed.

Gonna have to be a big area. Already over 50% of the adults in Orleans Parish are fully vaccinated.

[swag]

Asked just now about Jazzfest, Mayor Cantrell seemed mostly focused on the capacity of public safety, EMS & police, especially given hurricane season. To me, the fact that she didn't talk about whether it could be done Covid-safely may mean she thinks that will be a non issue by the fall, so a good sign, I think.

Video here, she discusses Jazzfest at about the 18:00 mark.