UPDATE (September 8:) More show cancellations and postponements: New Haven, Dallas, Tampa, Charleston, Portland and Detroit. Remaining shows are still on the schedule. Only fully vaccinated patrons will be admitted and masks will be required. Even though the venues have been working hard to ensure a safe experience, with the general rate of infections in these areas they feel it’s not prudent to proceed with these shows.
UPDATE (August 13): York and Bensalem, PA shows have been postponed into 2022. The remaining shows are still on the schedule, but attendees will be asked for proof of vaccination (so bring your CDC card), and masks will be required inside the venue for any indoor shows through 2021. Ben’s crew is working with venues to ensure that these requirements can be met. The best bet is to check with the venue if you plan to attend and have any questions. See Ben’s social media (@benfolds on Twitter, @actualbenfolds on Instagram) for the full statement.
With the pandemic shifting gears, Ben has posted some advice about the upcoming tour – specifically, don’t be surprised if there are changes or cancellations to some dates and venues.
Buckle up kids, it’s going to be a wild ride. My upcoming tour is likely to take some unexpected turns as we continue to see the latest COVID virus variants sweep across the country.
While I intend to make my best effort to proceed with our announced shows, there is a possibility that we may be looking at concert postponements or cancellations.
My downsized crew and I are all fully vaccinated and dedicated to wearing masks and taking every precaution we can because we do not want to help spread COVID from city to city. Downsizing the crew is the reason behind foregoing VIP events on this tour.
My VIP/Merchandise person, Amanda, meets large portions of the audience up close and personal each night. She nor I want to add ‘Interstate Super Spreader’ to her long list of job descriptions. She will work from home and communicate with us all via the miracle of telecoms.
Vaccinating, masking, downsizing crew, sharing our concerns with venues and promoters, and keeping in touch with what’s happening locally in each market where shows are scheduled are a few of the ways we will be working to try to keep these shows on the books while keeping us as safe as possible. I’m hoping… I’m asking that we all be just as careful. That’s how we take care of each other and get back to ‘normal’ times.
And on that note, I’d also like to ask that this forum and sacred music spaces remain a place to be together without all the noise, to put the differences aside for just a few moments. Debates on the validity of established medical facts or detours into unrelated political sideshows can find homes on some very mainstream Flat Earth sites and rage filled fact free spaces – so enjoy. But here, music is about harmony, acting in concert, supporting each other, and of course beer. On this we can certainly agree. I care about the health of people who listen to my music regardless of what flavor you choose.
I see your faces every year, and this year I’ll settle for just seeing your eyes this time, and trust there’s a healthy smile behind that mask. if I’m advised that I’ll be adding to the woes of your city with our congregation, if we can’t agree to take care of each other for a couple hours for one night this fall, I’ll cancel that shit in two seconds, take the rap and rest knowing I didn’t kill anybody.
Love, Folds
We’ll do our best to keep up with any changes in the tour schedule on our tour dates page.
