Since W.Va. Gov. Jim Justice lifted precautionary mandates in early May, live music has been robust with events at various locations in the Wheeling area.
The City of Wheeling has orchestrated a concert series since June at Centre Market, Market Plaza has been utilized for fundraisers, and the Wheeling Park Commission sanctioned a plethora of functions Oglebay and Wheeling Park that have featured live music performances by local and regional bands. Local establishments also have welcomed local musicians several evenings each week.
But will those events be possible when colder temperatures arrive to the Upper Ohio Valley come November? Jon Banco, a member of Eli and the Mojo Kings and several other duo groups, has scheduled live music and food trucks for events every week since early June, but with the pandemic statistics significantly increasing during the past six weeks he wonders what the future holds.
“We will still have a lot of live music at several indoor venues, but, of course, the big outdoor events begin going away at this time of year,” Banco explained. “Right now, I am just hoping we can get through the month of October without the Covid numbers skyrocketing so we can still have the outdoor events that are currently scheduled.
“Even though outdoor events are not as dangerous as far as contracting Covid, the other part of the equation that could be an issue is staffing the events,” he said. “When those events take place, it takes a lot of people being involved. For some of those events, you need an army of people and if there are too many people sick with Covid, they wouldn’t be available. I can see that being a big issue in bigger cities, but it could be here, too, depending on those numbers.”
The Chill of Winter
The average temperatures throughout the Upper Ohio Valley dip into the low 40s during the day and in the 20s once sunset takes place in the early evening, and that means musicians are limited to indoor venues for close to four months if not longer.
In March 2020, Gov. Justice shuttered all bars and limited restaurants to take-out and curbside services only. Once the numbers decreased, he allowed for 50-percent occupancy in those establishments, but that move did not allow for live entertainment.
According to the statistics compiled by the Department of Health and Human Resources, there are nearly 30,000 active cases of Covid-19 right now in West Virginia with a record number of hospitalizations and ICU patients.
“In November, it starts to get a little colder in this area, and most things events will be inside and we could see some issues there, too,” Banco said. “What we have learned during this pandemic is that the virus is transmitted from one person to other people most often when everyone is inside. I just hope that people do what they need to do to stay safe, and I hope we can get through it with indoor events taking place.
“When everything was shut down, it was the worst time in my career as a musician. I went a long time without picking up my saxophone and booking gigs for other bands, and that was horrible,” he said. “I just believe the more people who are getting vaccinated and doing what they are doing to stay safe, the better off we will be, but I am no one who is going to tell anyone what to do. We’ve had a pretty good year so far and I just hope it can stay that way.”
The Last Hurrahs?
The United Way of the Upper Ohio Valley will stage the organization’s Oktoberfest event on Saturday, Sept. 25 from Noon-11 p.m. at Market Plaza, and Oglebay is set to hold its annual Oglebayfest weekend as a way to thank the residents of the Upper Ohio Valley. That three-day event begin on October 1.
Banco scheduled the bands for both events and, as long as the weather cooperates, is confident they will take place without a hitch.
“Octoberfest and Oglebayfest are both outdoor events with a lot of live music included,” he reported. “So, as long as folks do what they need to do, we should be fine with both of those events at the park and at Market Plaza. But, yes, if you can’t taste or smell anything, then you probably should go get tested before you go out into the public.
“That’s what we have been told for a year-and-a-half,” Banco added. “And we’ve learned a lot during that time about how to be safe from this thing, and about the vaccinations. I know there’s still a ton of misinformation out there so I hope people just take the time to find out the truth and go from there.”
