No Anthony Braxton. No Patti Smith.  No Terry Riley and no Damo Suzuki.

At least not for me.  At least not this year.

I was really rather expecting this, what with SXSW and Coachella already cancelling or rescheduling, but today the organizers behind Knoxville's Big Ears formally announced the cancellation of this year's festival due to coronavirus concerns.

Unlike the other festivals, Big Ears is going the class route and offering ticket holders full refunds. The other festivals are either saying "tough luck," or offering to credit the ticket price toward future events, but I should get all the money I spent on the VIP-level "Sonic  Explorer" pass back.

The hotel (which was even more expensive) is a little dicier.  I paid in advance, and Hyatt has already announced that they will not be refunding pre-paid cancellations, even if due to coronavirus.  Instead, they will be offering 10,000 "World of Hyatt Bonus Points" in lieu of a stay.  I have no idea what 10,000 WoH BPs gets you.  Four free night stays, the same as I had paid for, at some other Hyatt in the future?  Complimentary beverage service?  Subscription to their in-house magazine?  

It's sad that the festival was cancelled, but it's the responsible thing to do.  Nothing good could have come from bringing that many people from so many locations together at the peak of the pandemic.

Now, go wash your hands.