Bands pull out of live shows in Dewey

Two popular bands have canceled gigs in Dewey after one band member tested positive for COVID-19.

In recent Facebook posts, LauraLea Taraskus of LauraLea & Tripp Fabulous said she canceled all band and solo gigs until further notice when she learned that members of other bands had tested positive. 

“Their band leaders were trying to keep it quiet, even lying about it when asked directly,” Taraskus wrote. “Even after being made aware that there were confirmed cases of Covid among their members, no gigs were initially canceled.”

Taraskus said she and her bandmates believed they could have been exposed; they were all tested and are awaiting results, which she said she will publicly post on Facebook.

“It was unsafe – despite the safety measures we were personally taking – to be around all of you, possibly exposing you as well and so on and so on – because that’s how viruses work,” she wrote to fans.

Kristen McGee of Kristen and the Noise also canceled her band’s gigs after a band member tested positive for COVID-19, she wrote on Facebook.

“Things can and do change daily with this virus,” McGee wrote. “Last weekend, we played and were all perfectly healthy and feeling fine.”

Just days later, McGee wrote, a bandmate felt ill, so the entire band was tested. McGee said one member tested positive and the rest are awaiting results. 

In a related Facebook post June 23, The Starboard announced some employees are currently not working as they await their test results.

“They are not allowed back to work until either a negative test or a doctor’s approval following a positive test,” the post read.