“Jazz At The Lake 2020” and Lake George summer concert series cancelled

I’ll admit it – I’ve been doing pretty well during these Covidiotic times: I’m employed, I don’t share walls with anyone, and I now have a marvelous collection of masks, suitable for almost any occasion. Unfortunately, one of the big occasions I look forward to went South this morning when I got a post on my FB feed from the Lake George Arts Project, the primary sponsor/organizer for both “Jazz At The Lake” and the summer concert series at Shepard Park in Lake George:

“Keeping artists, the audience, staff, and volunteers safe is our top priority and is a responsibility we take seriously. Even if we were able to present in a traditional sense this year, it just wouldn’t be the same. So, through many conversations, and with the input of artists, stakeholders and the audience, Lake George Arts Project Staff and Board of Directors have decided to cancel our Summer Concert Series and our Jazz at the Lake programs for this year. Like many of our friends in the community who plan and present events, this decision is an unprecedented one for us.”

That crashing sound you just heard was my heart falling about fifteen stories and shattering on the pavement. The thing is, though, it’s a good call: Although the numbers have been very good for New York state, the bottom line is that COVID is going to be with us for a while. There’s no vaccine, and no established treatment that doesn’t come with potentially deadly side effects. And as long as there are people who see wearing a mask in public as optional (or, worse, an attack on their “FREEDUMB”), the idea of everyone bunching up again at Shepard Park becomes less and less attractive. So that’s two more silhouettes COVID can paint on the side of the bomber.

The (relatively) good news is that LGAP will be entering the virtual world that many artists and promotions – including SPAC – have joined; this will come in the form of “Jazz At The Lake Reimagined”, which will be “a series of 4 hybrid events that combine performances, a discussion with the artists, and time to ask your favorite musician the questions you’ve been eager to have answered.” Watch this space, and we’ll be posting the schedule as soon as we get it. Let’s keep a happy thought about getting “back to normal” in 2021. And take heart, my fellow JATL regulars: For once, we don’t have make major investments on sun block and big hats.

For more information, you can go to https://www.lakegeorgearts.org/.