Major talent agent predicts concerts won't return until 2022

As the United States continues to struggle with the COVID-19 pandemic, the current assumption within the music industry is that concerts will return to normal in 2021. Frighteningly, evidence continues to mount suggesting that 2021 might not represent the panacea our concert industry so desperately needs. In fact, at least one notable industry executive predicts that concerts won't return until 2022. Marc Geiger, the co-founder of Lollapalooza and former global head of music for behemoth talent agency William Morris Entertainment, was asked when he thought concerts would resume during a recent appearance on 'The Bob Lefsetz Podcast'. Geiger's bleak response: "In my humble opinion, it's going to be 2022." "It's going to take that long before, what I call, the germaphobic economy is slowly killed off and replaced by the claustrophobia economy — that's when people want to get out and go out to dinner and have their lives, go to festivals and shows," Geiger explained. "It's my instinct that it's going to take a while because super-spreader events — sports, shows, festivals, etc. — aren't going to do too well when the virus is this present," Geiger added. "With [COVID-19], there's infinite liability," Geiger said, suggesting that securing insurance will be among the myriad challenges facing promoters and concert venues. According to Geiger, "the next six months may be more painful than the last six months, and maybe the next six months after that are even more so." The entire interview can be heard below.