In March 2020, after South by Southwest was canceled for the first time in its 35-year history, musicians in Texas began a challenging time. But none more so than Black musicians, who were already struggling for resources and recognition before the pandemic. For many of them, the last year presented both as an undue burden and an opportunity to champion lasting reform in the live music industry.
The phrase “first to close, last to reopen” became a common refrain at music venues, many of which shuttered in March on state and local government orders only to realize reopening at any point 2020 was almost unimaginable. By late spring, the National Independent Venue Association had surveyed its 2,000-plus members and confirmed the grim outlook for indie venues: roughly 90 percent said they would permanently close without federal aid. Black musicians joined the chorus of talent bookers, indie venues, and promoters lobbying for funding as millions of people went on unemployment in the opening months of the pandemic.
Adrian Quesada of the Grammy-nominated Black Pumas remembers having a conversation with the band’s manager, Ryan Matteson, the week SXSW was canceled. “Everyone thought that was crazy and that life would be on pause for about two weeks [and] then back to normal,” he said. “[Ryan] said, ‘I don’t think you’re playing another show this year.’ It was shocking but turned out to be true.”
