4th of July Bash: DaBaby to perform live in Georgia despite the state recording rise in Covid-19 cases
After earning Best Male Hip Hop Artist and delivering a powerful statement with his 'Rockstar' performance at the 2020 BET Awards on June 28, it looks like DaBaby is ready to hit the live stage again. The 28-year-old rapper is slated to appear in a July 4 concert in Decatur, Georgia, according to Consequence of Sound. Fellow rappers MoneyBagg Yo and Blac Youngsta will perform on July 5.
Titled '4th of July Bash', the event is hosted by J Hart Productions and is being marketed as a "weekend concert series" and will take place at Cosmopolitan Premier Lounge, a newly renovated venue in Decatur. Even though organizers seem to be aware of the continuously increasing numbers of Covid-19 cases in the US, the event boasts as "the only concert in the city." However, organizers are allegedly enforcing safety measures to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus, saying, "Bring your mask and be prepared for social distancing guidelines." On June 29, an executive order by Governor Brian P Kemp stated that people needed to continue to keep social distancing and bannned gatherings of more than fifty people unless there is six feet between each person.
DaBaby has not yet announced the show on his social media, but what is concerning is that not everyone is open to the idea of re-opening music venues as coronavirus cases have been rising lately. Since July 1, the nation has seen 43,644 new cases and 560 new deaths, according to the CDC. According to the state's official statistics Decatur has reported 253 deaths due to Covid-19 till now while 84,237 confirmed positive cases have been found in the state.
Additionally, if DaBaby's live gig goes as planned, then the rapper may come under fire from the public, similarly to Chase Rice, who recently put on a regular live concert. The country singer posted a video of a packed audience near the stage who weren't wearing any masks and received heavy criticism as it appeared social distancing guidelines were not being followed. Rice then had to alter his concert plans because of the backlash and said his next show would be a drive-in concert, which in turn led to further criticism because he never apologized.
Live music venues have been coming up with intuitive ways to re-open and hold concerts, but it hasn't always been successful. In May TempleLive in Arkansas hosted a socially-distanced Travis McCready concert with special seating they dubbed "fan pods." Before the gig, the venue was issued a cease-and-desist order by governor Asa Hutchinson, as it did not comply with health regulations and their scheduled opening date was pushed to three days later.
In contrast to pandemic-free sold-out concerts before the outbreak, the reduced concert was more intimate in its atmosphere, so the Cosmopolitan Premier Lounge may have to come up with a promising way to assure the audience's safety while still delivering an exciting concert.