TASCA: Brett, take us back to mid-March. As I recall, you guys were getting ready to play a show in West Greenwich when the business shutdown was announced. How did you hear about it and what was your initial reaction?
HASKINS: Well Joe, things were happening so fast and nobody really knew what to make of it. I had lined up a couple of shows to play with my old band back in Chicago and actually drove all the way back to Chicago with the intention of playing these shows.
In the drive – it’s about a 15 hour drive – so much had changed. So many sporting organizations had cancelled their seasons. I made it all the way to Chicago, had a band meeting with that band. When the world was telling us not to play this show, we decided that that was in the best interest of the band and the best interest for people who would be coming to see us. Those are all our friends and family so we decided to cancel those shows. So I got right back in my truck and drove right back to Rhode Island.
We promptly had a meeting with the Farm Dog band and decided that we were going to adhere to the rules put forth by the government and not play shows. It’s still very hard to believe we’ve just kind of been marching in place. We’ve been having rehearsals every now and then to try to stay fresh and add some new songs and keep our chops up, but it’s not the same, Joe, as playing in front of a live audience.
TASCA: Brett, what do you think is the future of live music in the post-Covid era? I’ve seen some venues put up plexiglass to separate musicians from the patrons. Of course, we’ve seen capacity restrictions during the summer and into the fall. Do you see any of these changes sticking around indefinitely?
HASKINS: If I had to guess, I would probably say that the industry would roar back with probably a few restrictions to start. When the numbers are curtailed and we start to see infection rates go down, and as our vaccines and vaccination rates improve, I see that there’s a hunger and a thirst for people who really enjoyed going out to see live music and that was a part of their weekly livelihood. I think people will enjoy coming to see live music again and we will certainly enjoy playing live music for those people again.
TASCA: I want to circle back and ask you this question, Brett. What are you hearing from other musicians about the challenges they’re facing right now? I’m sure the emotions vary but give us a sense of how the pandemic has really impacted the music community as a whole.
HASKINS: Joe, there’s a couple different categories of musicians. Some people just do this and get a kick out of it and have a good time playing their instruments and singing.
But there’s also a group of musicians who not just need it financially for their livelihood, but also need it for their mental well-being. It’s a part of their release, it’s a part of their mechanism to decompress, to deal with things. When they’re at their most comfortable is when they’re on stage performing in front of people. They’re actually relaxed and enjoying themselves and able to forget some of their problems in life. I think those are the people that are really struggling the most; people that playing music is part of their identity.
The few conversations I’ve had with a few of my friends in the industry like that, they’re really struggling. They’re really having a tough time with it. They’ve tried a few virtual performances. It’s just not cutting the mustard. There’s an organic thing that happens with the band and the audience when they both come together and those are the people that are really having the toughest go at this.
TASCA: Brett, let me ask you this finally. How badly do you want to get out there and play again? Have you kind of fantasized, if you will, about that next gig, whenever it may be?
HASKINS: Oh, of course, Joe. I mean, I have my equipment set up in the basement of my house. It’s a nice little studio. I’ve been learning new songs and the other two members in Farm Dog have also been practicing their instruments. When we get together, we’ve been retooling some of the old material and talking about how great it’s going to be when we can put all this behind us.
We’re just chomping at the bit to get in front of our friends and our family again. More than anything, it’s the people that come out to see Farm Dog that we miss the most. That’s our bread and butter. Those are our people that really enjoy what we do. We can’t wait, Joe.
Joe Tasca can be reached at jtasca@ripr.org
