We’re safe, Cincinnati!
After a COVID-19 scare had put Kings of Leon’s upcoming Cincinnati show in jeopardy, the band says that most concerts on its tour will remain in place — including the Aug. 31 stop at Riverbend Music Center.
On Aug. 19, Kings of Leon announced that it would not take the stage that evening at Blossom Music Center in Cleveland after one of its team members had tested positive for coronavirus. Those who have COVID-19 typically quarantine for 10-14 days, and those in close contact with people who have been infected often isolate for some time, as well.
But Kings of Leon soon announced a game plan that canceled or rescheduled a few upcoming shows while keeping the tour schedule largely intact. Cincinnati’s Aug. 31 concert at Riverbend remains unaffected.
The band will resume its tour beginning Aug. 27 in Mansfield, Massachusetts.
Music venues in Cincinnati and elsewhere recently have announced new measures to provide safer experiences as the Delta variant of the coronavirus rages through the nation. Riverbend Music Center, for example, will require proof of COVID-19 vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test administered within the prior 48 hours of a concert beginning in Oct. 4.
But some performers are canceling concerts altogether because of the recent, sustained COVID-19 spike. This week, Texas Alt-Rock band The Toadies said that it would cancel its tour celebrating the 25th anniversary of its debut album Rubberneck. And Country superstar Garth Brooks recently canceled several September shows — including the one in Cincinnati — as COVID-19 cases continue to mount in Kentucky and Ohio thanks to the highly transmissible Delta variant.
Alt-Country stalwart Jason Isbell, however, is plowing ahead with his tour, requiring fans to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and showing proof of vaccination. Isbell fans also can supply proof of a negative diagnostic COVID-19 test that was administered no more than 48 hours before his Cincinnnati shows on Dec. 10 and 11.
Isbell has been outspoken about the need for COVID-19 vaccines in order to protect musicians, crew members, venue workers and fans. He was among the first and most vocal to institute full vaccination requirements for his shows.
“I’m all for freedom but I think if you’re dead, you don’t have any freedoms at all,” Isbell recently told MSNBC.
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This article appears in Aug 18-31, 2021.