My perceptions of the music itself haven't changed. But COVID-19 has made me much more keenly aware--and I wasn't exactly oblivious to it previously--of how precarious things are for musicians who aren't superstars, who play the smaller venues, who are dependent on touring and resulting merch sales in order to make a living. If bands like The Rolling Stones have to postpone a tour due to the pandemic, it's a minor annoyance at most. They're already rich and don't need the money. But for those musicians that play the clubs, it can mean having to abandon music for another line of work (not easy during a time of high unemployment) or even financial ruin.
I've been fortunate to be able to keep working (though I had to take a pay cut to do so). Once I sort out a couple of upcoming major expenses and have some more discretionary income, I'm going to buy some music or merch from some of my favorite musician's websites in order to help, even in a small way. Hopefully a lot of other music fans will do the same.
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