At Hartman Arena in Park City there are two concerts happening in April while COVID-19 continues on. The arena continues to require masks and social distancing in their building. Although concerts in big arenas with a socially distanced audience are happening frequently now, just a year ago the thought would be seen as uncanny and just a few months before that as very strange. 

Approximately 73% of NHS students think that concerts should continue to happen during the current state of the pandemic. In Wichita, there are 11 different concerts planned to be performed in April 2021. One of those being the Adolescents on Apr. 11 according to Songkick. The payment for performers depends on their fame, if they are famous they can make between $2,000 to $100,000 a performance but smaller performers can make around $300 to $2,000 a performance according to How to Sing Better 101. Without this money, performers might not be able to afford basic needs. 

“A performer’s job is to make songs then have concerts to make money, then you have the people who help that are their full time jobs, which affects their living habits,” senior Medora LaRose said. “They should be able to do their job as we all are. We are the ones making a decision to go there. I think we shouldn’t judge the singers, they are living life.”

At NHS, band members refrain from wearing a mask during their concerts so that they can properly play their instruments. The audience on the other hand is required to wear a mask and social distance to the best of their ability. 

Lady Gaga is a well-known artist that is currently touring in different countries according to Concertful. Some performers like ‘Casting Crowns’ have chosen to perform by having a drive-thru concert in Kansas, to make sure COVID-19 procedures are being followed. 

“I think it wouldn’t hurt to wait but if they have a limited crowd with safe instructions it wouldn’t be bad,” sophomore Taylor Redington said. “There have been concerts where people are put into socially distanced squares and masks are required so there are ways to be safe and do this. [However] I feel like bands should travel as little as possible because it’s the travel that spreads the virus.”

Bands like AJR planned to come to Kansas last year but cancelled their concerts for the rest of 2020 due to COVID-19. While the pandemic continues, some performers like Maroon 5 have chose to hold live stream concerts instead of performing and having to travel in person according to Songkick. 

“Performers going on tours is a horrible decision, you’re potentially spreading the virus nationwide, even internationally in some cases,” senior Isaac Pauls said. “[Performers] have a lack of empathy for the thousands dying, and the millions suffering from the loss of loved ones, and the impacts [the pandemic] has had on our economy.”