This weekend marks the return of the Hopscotch Music Festival to the Triangle area.
The festival is celebrating its 11th year by showcasing independent musicians, many of whom call North Carolina home.
This is significant since, at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic, small, locally-run music venues and festivals were among the first to close and the last to resume.
On Friday afternoon, Rebekah Todd, a native of Wilmington, will perform solo at Hopscotch, and on Saturday, she will bring her whole band to Raleigh for the Mind Under Matter Campout Festival.
As touring performers like Todd struggled to make ends meet after the pandemic, she is looking forward to the next shows.
According to Todd, “I launched a shop online that was buying from local manufacturers and selling it online to my fans” to bring in some cash. “I nonetheless made an effort to leverage my prominence for my own benefit and the benefit of others.”
As well as having been living out of a van for some time, she was now confined to a stationary lifestyle. She also mentioned that the time she had to herself during the epidemic allowed her to think things over and inspire her to write new songs, despite the fact that it had its share of difficult moments.
💫 Here’s your daily schedule! Gates to Moore Square open at 3:30PM, gates to City Plaza open at 4PM, and doors at the clubs are at 10PM. See you out there!
🎟: https://t.co/eYuOH9pHyo pic.twitter.com/xKwaxK9dnp
— Hopscotch Music Fest (@hopscotchfest) September 8, 2022
“It’s been a fantastic trip,” Todd stated. “I didn’t realize I needed the break, but I did, and COVID is the sole reason I’m here with a new album dropping.”
Now that she has finished recording her new album, Todd is planning a tour to promote it. She’s happy to be returning to her passions.
“I thought it was a grind, and it is its own grind,” Todd remarked, referring to his time spent “living here in Wilmington and playing around 175 gigs a year.” But once you’re out on the road, you’ll find that nothing else quite prepares you for the challenges ahead.
Since the epidemic pushed many artists and venues to change their strategies, she is pleading with music fans to stick with the business as it begins to recover.
To paraphrase, “If people don’t go out to live music venues, then there won’t be any for anyone to go to. Consequently, all of us ought to do all we can to back it up,” Todd urged.
This year was the second year when concertgoers were forced to provide proof of vaccination against COVID-19 or else miss the festival. The Hopscotch Music Festival began in 2010 but didn’t gain traction until 2020 when the pandemic hit.
This year’s event, which takes place this Thursday through Saturday, will feature performances by more than 400 performers in City Plaza and Moore Square. If you read the more latest news or posts so visit on TheActiveNews.Com.