Just as we’re eagerly looking forward to warm weather and the festival/outdoor concert season, everything is up in the air. Some festivals, such as Parade the Circle, which require a lot of advance planning and working, have already been cancelled. Our complete festival schedule, which was to have gone up this week, is now replete with question marks.
One of the stars of the northeast Ohio outdoor music season is Carlos Jones & the P.L.U.S. Band, whose sunny, positive-vibrations reggae seems to fit the mood of the season perfectly. The band draws big crowds every weekend all summer long. They always play Wade Oval Wednesday the Wednesday prior to the Fourth of July, which this year is July 1, an evening which also features a fireworks display. Fingers crossed that things will be under control by then and we’ll be able to go out and dancing to the music.
Meanwhile, Jones, who has a new album set to drop in time for the summer season, shares a message and a soothing track for those who are suffering cabin fever. The track, “Heart and Hands,” exudes a summery vibe and heaven knows we can use that right now.
“I’m speaking to you on behalf of my brothers in the PLUS Band, to say that we miss you all, and hope that everyone is maintaining as best they can, being safe and taking care of yourselves and those close to you,” says Carlos. “Indeed we find ourselves living in a very much altered reality. It has felt so strange to not be able to have that communion (in person), and share that loving community Spirit that feeds and nourishes us, and to not even know when we might be able to enjoy that again. My heart cries.
“I’ve been trying to figure out a way for me and the guys to reach out to everyone while we’re not able to gather together right now. I know there has to be a way without putting each other in jeopardy — right now each of us is isolating as is wise to do. But in this meantime, I felt moved to share this with you. It’s a work in progress, but a message and vibration that I feel is needed now rather than later.
I hope you can continue to find the beauty in the simplest things in life, and when we have come to the other side of this, bring those lessons with you.
We WILL see a new day, and it’s up to us to make it what we want it to be. Thank you for always being there for us. Let us not only get through this but come out better for it. I’m praying for you all and for humanity as a whole. It’s ONE world — we are all connected.
Be well, be safe,
Peace, Love, Unity – Carlos”
He also shared a new track, called “This Corona (Real Rock),” about what we’re going through now and what we should all do to assure we’ll be able to join him somewhere this summer.