Although people across the country are determined to return to pre-COVID normalcy — packing beaches and parks in recent days, despite the obvious risks — it seems that concerts will remain off-limits for many months (unless you're sitting in your car).
In an effort to hasten the process, Production Club, a Los Angeles design firm, has created a protective suit that would allow concertgoers to once again crowd venues. The only difference, of course, would be arenas full of fans wearing an "offshoot of a hazmat suit," according to the firm's website, that "contains two lithium-ion cell battery systems" to power, among other things, a built-in air-filtration system, LED lights, a camera, and speakers. The contraption, called Micrashell, also includes snap-on canisters for vaping and drinking, presumably to help you forget the future hell you've found yourself trapped in.
The system is "a solution for bringing people together safely," Production Club's Mike 808 told NBC Los Angeles. "It takes your safety and your security in terms of being close to airborne particles or viruses to the next level." That doesn't seem to be in dispute. What's less clear is that people, no matter how concert-hungry, would want to look like refugees from The Andromeda Strain just to see live music. The firm is discussing the idea, which awaits a patent, with a number of venues, with concert-night rentals of the suits a possibility. Another possibility: waiting for a vaccine, and then putting on old jeans and a faded Bowie tee before going to your next show.