Pentagon Tales * Trasmissioni dal lockdown

Geoff Farina
Andersonville, Chicago, USA

1. Where are u right now?
Andersonville (Chicago)

2. What’s happening in your country/city at the moment?Are there any restrictions?Are venues/shops/bars opened?
Everything is closed except for pharmacies, grocery stores, and a few restaurants that only do takeout. We have a “stay at home” order in place, but it’s not really enforced by law.

3. Did u have any tour/gig planned before this Thing started?
Yes, Chris Brokaw and I had our 2-week Midwest tour cancelled.

4. How this situation is reflecting on your everyday life?
I’ve been busy. I’m a university instructor and we’ve had to move all our teaching online and this has become quite time consuming, but I’m lucky to be working and many people are worse off than me.

5. How the Music Community in your country/city is reacting?
Great. There have been some community sing-alongs and “social distancing” events that help people (especially kids) cope, and in general it seems people in my community have been doing the right things.

6. Do u usually have any help from the Government if u’re a musician in your country?Do musicians get money if they tour?
No, not in America! There is some federal money that is supposed to be earmarked for “the gig economy”, but I doubt touring musicians will see any of it.

7. How the Government reacted?Did they think about the economical loss and disaster the musicians are facing?
Our state government has reacted quickly and decisively, but the federal government’s reaction is a disgrace. The federal government does not let the CDC talk freely, denies scientific evidence, promotes fake coronavirus cures, and just today they have removed any oversight for the economic stimulus spending.

8) What’s the social situation where u live?How people in general are living these days?What’s the percentage of your friends that right now is not working for this reason?
I’ve haven’t had time to keep up with many of my friends, but I get the sense that most of my friends took it seriously and have been social-distancing for weeks. I haven’t heard from anyone who is sick yet, but the pandemic is still growing here.

9. How’s reacting the Society and do u think after this will be over something will change in the everyday life?Do u think people will change anything in their life?
Yes, I think this will change things for a long time. Traveling will become more expensive and difficult, the economy has already changed dramatically, and I think we can’t yet see what the outcomes will be.

10. Is there anything u would recommend to the people of the music world during these hard times?
Practice!

11. Is there any book/lp/movie u read/listened/watched recently that u would recommend ?
Just finishing Charlie Louvin’s biography Satan Is Real, and I’m teaching a course on the Anthology of American Folk Music, so those are a couple of subjects that have kept my mind off of the pandemic.