Jason Isbell Shows America What Responsibility And Character Look Like

"I think if you're dead, you don't have any freedoms at all"

The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion fully supports and commends Jason Isbell and his team for their commitment to the health of their fans, crew, band, and venue staff. We are all on the same page here and we agree with what Jason would like to implement, but there is a timing issue. To implement a major change in policy such as what is requested will take more time than we have.

The Pavilion- and will always- view the health and safety of those at our venue as the highest priority. We will continue to look to our local and national health officials for the best guidance as we continue to evolve our policies and procedures to celebrate our return back to live.

• Jerry McDonald, President and CEO, The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion

Here we sit, 18 months into the COVID-19 pandemic, and it appears that we’ve reached the point where the profit motive is being openly valued over people's lives. That this is happening in Texas isn’t surprising. The Lone Star State has been the home to COVID denial since Day One. Republican Governor Greg Abbott has built his political brand on opening Texas for business despite the realities of the pandemic.

The death cult is strong in Texas. Some of us had naively hoped that it could somehow be less shameless in placing profit over people. But, sadly, the wheels of commerce must continue to turn, even if it means senselessly sacrificing human lives.

We all want things to return to normal. We want to go to concerts, games, and other public events without concern for our health and safety. But, unfortunately, the current reality doesn’t support that sort of unwarranted optimism, and it’s prompted some to take matters into their own hands.

Jason Isbell understands that no matter how much he wants to get back to doing what he loves- playing live music- his doing so can put lives at risk. In that sense, he’s responsible for the health and safety of thousands. That he’s decided to take this responsibility seriously is commendable.

Unfortunately, not everyone sees things in the same light. Isbell’s decision means requiring venues to spend money taking steps they don’t necessarily want to take. At the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion in The Woodlands, TX, that conflict canceled Isbell’s show tonight.

When Isbell decided to take his band out on tour, he also determined that he would do so in a manner that was as safe as he could make it. No one should die because they went to a concert.

“[I]f you’re dead, you don’t have any freedoms at all.” Yes, Isbell’s nailed it. Sure, you can wail and moan about your “freedom” all you want, but if you’re dead, it won’t matter. The point of this pandemic is to survive it, to come out alive on the other side so that we can all get back to something resembling normal.

While the Pavilion’s CEO said in a statement on the venue’s website that “[w]e are all on the same page here,” the reality appears to be somewhat different. A spokesperson for Isbell points out that though the venue claims they didn’t have time to implement Isbell’s new protocols, they were notified on July 31st.

Jerry MacDonald, the president and CEO of the venue said timing was the issue.

“We got the request for the change on Monday. To implement a major change in policy such as what was requested would take more than 2 days to properly implement,” MacDonald said in part. “We would hold our staff to the same standard as our guests and there needs to be time to address this logistically. We are currently following all CDC guidelines in operating The Pavilion. The venue is an outdoor, open-air facility. The Isbell show would have been at about 10% capacity with the ability to socially distance. The Pavilion gave Mr. Isbell and his team several options to produce a safe event at the venue and even offered to postpone the show to a date when the protocols could be implemented. All options were denied.”

Isbell's fully aware that if COVID-19 deaths are traced back to his show, not only will he be seen as responsible in the minds of some, but he’ll have to live with that knowledge. In Texas, where only 44% of the population is fully vaccinated, that’s nothing to take lightly. Get several thousand people close together during the rapid spread of the virus’ Delta variant, and it’s not inconceivable that some who would’ve attended Isbell’s show would later die. He’s chosen not to assume responsibility for that risk, which seems the responsible approach.

Sadly, the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion’s management chose to err on the side of profit over protecting the lives of their patrons. While they’re painting their position as simpatico with Isbell’s, they clearly wanted to get on top of the PR battle.

Fox 26 morning anchor Sally MacDonald, the daughter of venue owner and CEO Jerry MacDonald, wasn’t about to let a conflict of interest stand in the way of getting the messaging right.

We can argue that the venue’s management chose to ignore and then refused to comply with Isbell’s protocols. That seems reprehensible, but there’s a greater issue in play here. Should states with low vaccination rates be allowing mass gatherings in the first place? For that matter, should ANY state be allowing mass gatherings while the Delta variant is still running riot?

(Last Saturday night, Erin and I sat with 25,000 other soccer fans at a Portland Timbers FC match. Here in Multnomah County, 74.9% of those over 12 are vaccinated…but is even that enough?)

We can argue over whether or not we should feel any sympathy for those who’ve chosen to refuse the vaccine. They’re the bulk of new infections and almost all of the current COVID-19 deaths. Their irresponsibility impacts all of us. The unvaccinated use up scarce resources when they get sick. We still have to pay for their treatment, and health care workers still have to attend to their care despite their carelessness.

In light of that consideration, Jason Isbell’s concert protocols make a helluva lot of sense- especially in a place where less than half of those eligible are vaccinated. If you’re too irresponsible and self-centered to get vaccinated, why should you be allowed anywhere large crowds gather?

Isn’t it about time that we placed the burden of responsibility where it belongs- squarely on the shoulders of the unvaccinated?

If Jerry McDonald can’t understand why Jason Isbell doesn’t want to feel responsible for illnesses and deaths linked to his show, then he really has decided to put profit over people.

It doesn’t get much more callous and monstrous than that, eh?