In an interview published last night, White House chief medical advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci warned that as the U.S. daily COVID case average approaches 100,000 people per day — a whopping 48% increase from just one week ago — a new, more severe, vaccine-resistant variant could emerge. Furthermore, Fauci stressed the fact that vaxx holdouts aren’t just reckless, they’re selfish:
“If another [variant] comes along that has an equally high capability of transmitting but is also much more severe, then we could really be in trouble. People who are not getting vaccinated mistakenly think it’s only about them. But it isn’t. It’s about everybody else, also.”
NYHC band Madball, never ones to miss a stellar marketing opportunity, have taken the occasion of Fauci’s warning to try out a bold new strategy in the music business: letting your fanbase die.
In a new statement, the band says that an upcoming in their hometown of New York City “will likely be the last show we play here for a very long time.” The reason? NYC’s decision to require concert attendees to provide proof of vaccination, which they seem to think is an infringement of people’s privacy. Because in Madball’s world, letting strangers know you’re doing your part to try and end this pandemic for good is as embarrassing a letting strangers know you have herpes, I guess?
“[I]n light of the new rules that will be implemented in the city, this will likely be the last show we play here for a very long time. Sad to say. We truly respect whatever decisions people make with their bodies but we cannot in good conscience play shows that require personal/private medical information (like vaccination status) for entry. We have a special set list we’re working on. This show will be bittersweet.. let’s make it memorable!”
Good choice of words, Madball! It will certainly be a memorable show for the fans who contract a deadly virus, that’s for sure.
Unfortunately, there’s a major hole in Madball’s “We’re protecting your privacy” logic, which is that people who go to the show and subsequently get sick and/or die will be advertising that they weren’t vaccinated. Good thing they didn’t have to show a little QR code on their phone, though! PHEW!
This is not the first time Madball have forgone basic logic in favor of putting the “dumb” in “freedom”: in April, they were part of a massive hardcore show that attracted 2,000-3,000 people to New York City’s Tompkins Square Park, where attendees freely crowded together and moshed without masks. Other performers included John Joseph (ex-Cro-Mags), who defended the show by comparing it to a Black Lives Matter protest, which is always a great look for a 58-year-old white guy.
The city consequently revoked permits for seven other hardcore shows, all organized by Black N’ Blue Productions, who staged the Tompkins Square show. But I’m sure the bands whose shows were cancelled are really proud of Madball and John Joseph for being on the same side of history as Ted Nugent. At least now they can take all the shows Madball refuses to play.
[via The PRP]