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Faircracker SUMMER 2020
Home Delivered Entertainment During a Pandemic S
oca sa i l Ditnce Sre dng b he O e na i y T ne Mn Bnd a a a , Mrc Dobon s Do you have a negative narrative of 2020? It’s human
nature to first identify harmful things for protection. It can be difficult to find the good. COVID-19 and more has made 2020 a year unlike any other. I hope my story might in- spire. I have been home delivering entertainment creating lifetime memories. This article may be a recap for those who follow me on
Facebook, but we have many new members and we skipped our convention. Before I go on, please let me in- troduce myself. I am a real-life one-man-band with a backpack drum kit. I
sing and play 9.1 instruments at once. Year round, I per- form at fairs across the USA as a grounds music and com- edy act. Utilizing a motorized sound wagon allows me to stroll through grounds, do street shows, and entertain pre- show grandstand and other events. My setup is very mo-
bile. For ten years I’ve been a FFF member. Monday, March 9, marked 2020 going downhill for me. It was the day after the Southwest Florida & Lee County Fair
ended and the stock market crashed twice. SXSW had been the first big event to be cancelled. Then, the Houston Live- stock Show got cancelled, major league sports went down, a few fairs tried to or did a partial run. In a short amount of time we became pro cancellation negotiators. We moved to doing a lot virtually. I thought about home delivering my show instead of competing online, because I could. With the pitch of “Social Distance Serenading,” I started reaching out. On March 29, I paraded through my own sub-
division. I canvassed the neighborhood days before inviting neighbors to a sunset show. A couple weeks into social dis- tancing people were thrilled to be entertained from their front yards. Feedback was greater than I expected! I was ecstatic with Florida’s Stay At Home Order that was issued April 1. The part that applied to me was “organizations
are encouraged to provide delivery… service of the business… to the greatest extent possible.” I was inline with the or- der! All law enforcement and local leaders I’ve encountered have supported me. The next gigs took work! I qualified 16 senior facilities and narrowed them down to eight where I could logistically put on
an impactful show. I booked dates committing to do my best to entertain every resident, serenading and parading outside of facilities. I hoped safely performing a senior facility would give me validation. Putting on a show for those most vulnera- ble would mean I could perform to anyone. Media coverage caught on quickly. Florida Today ran a front page article on April 4 and Spectrum News featured me on the hour, every hour, for three days across multiple broadcast zones, and more. Show highlights have been kids and families dancing in the streets; performing in driveways of those at high risk, includ-
ing one with terminal cancer; instigating 20+ seniors to bang pots and pans along with the music from their balconies; an unsolicited sponsorship from VITAS Healthcare; and the smiles from WWII Veterans when I sang ‘God Bless The USA’ on Memorial Day. Until a solution for COVID-19 is widely accepted, older adults, people of any age who might be at higher risk for se-
vere illness, and people close to them, may have low confidence to attend fairs. Bringing entertainment to the commu- nity has been a heartfelt experience for me. If you have a similar idea for your fair or show and need insight I may be able to help; I’ve done 30+ gigs during the pandemic. As of this writing, my August 2020 and on is still booked. For current fairs, I’m offering to “home deliver” my show
parading through and serenading residential areas, at no additional cost. For cancelled fairs, if logistically possible, I’m offering the same at a price of “pay what you can.” If you think you have a situation where we could impact your community, call me. It’s a sponsorship and media coverage opportunity.
marc@marcdobson.com407-399-7673
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