Survival Tips
On the subject of reopening, it continues apace. Last night, I had the pleasant duty of chaperoning my daughter to Radio City Music Hall to see the New Zealand songstress Lorde in concert. She is indeed rather wonderful—a very talented songwriter, with a Dali-esque set, and a straightforward and unpretentious way of presenting herself. This is what she was like as a teenager back in 2013. Here she is from 2019, and from last year.
As for the wisdom of being in a packed indoor place: Most, if not all, the rest of the crowd were much younger than me and had less to worry about from Covid. Very, very few were masked while dancing and singing along to the music. The great majority did put on masks unbidden to get out of the building, which involved packing together in some narrow stairwells. It all made sense. And it does feel like a relief, albeit a transgressive one, to be back in a crowd of people.
It also looked like it was great fun to be at Coachella last weekend. And I would have loved to be in New Orleans for what looks like a cathartic return to the stage by Arcade Fire. Yes, we all need to get out more. And now we can.
John Authers is a senior editor for markets. Before Bloomberg, he spent 29 years with the Financial Times, where he was head of the Lex Column and chief markets commentator. He is the author of The Fearful Rise of Markets and other books.