Let’s see. In April alone, that’s nine gigs cancelled. In May, at least eight.

It’s all a bit depressing for Vallejo vocalist Joyce Grant. But she’s one of the fortunate ones. Grant has a pension from Wells Fargo and retirement from UPS. Plus, at 65, she said she’s already drawing on her Social Security.

Other area entertainers aren’t as fortune, relying on their wits, whatever savings they have, or a spouse who is still working to pay the bills and keep the fridge stocked.

Carlos Reyes and Peppino D’Agostino are full-time musicians — well, they were. COVID-19 put the brakes to much of their work. (Courtesy photo)

“I feel bad for people who don’t have a financial backup,” Grant said. “I’m able to pay my bills. I just don’t have extra cash for wardrobe, nails or hair. I’m doing OK. I’m blessed. I’m able to pay for my groceries.”

“I am looking for toilet tissue,” Grant added, laughing.

Though Grant is retired, her husband isn’t, working full-time in Benicia.

“I stay at home, watch movies, drink wine,” she chuckled. “And do gardening. Every piece of dirt I can find, I’m throwing vegetable seeds. I’m planting stuff you can eat.”

A look at other entertainers’ experiences during the pandemic crisis:

SYRIA T. BERRY, musician and vocalist:

The Vallejo entertainer — and pastor — Syria T. Berry isn’t as fortunate. Berry figures he’s lost 37 gigs through April 30, including days where he had two or three booked. That’s a lot of work that vanished with COVID-19.

“My wife and I have been walking the dogs, shopping for supplies, watching too many virus updates, and watching a lot of movies and YouTube concerts,” Berry said.

Berry did one one recent enjoyable performance at a senior center “when they allowed me to stroll around the center and sing to the residents on their balconies. The residents and I were blessed.”

Even when the pandemic ends, “it’s going to take musicians a while to recover, even if we do get unemployment,” Berry said. “I know some touring bands that have cancelled their entire domestic and European tours. Some restaurants and clubs may not reopen, meaning fewer venues for artists to work.”

ARIANE CAP, bass player:

The former Vallejoan, bass wizard Ariane Cap is fortunate to “only” lose a week-long Bay Area clinic at Jazzschool, a three-day workshop in Philadelphia and a show at San Francisco Jazz.

Former Vallejoan Ariane Cap is grateful for online teaching income plus instructional books and DVDs. (Courtesy photo)

“I am fairly lucky in that I have a thriving online teaching business with courses, books and online one-on-ones for quite a few years,” Cap said. “I’ve been fortunate so far.”

While people have more time at home to check out Cap’s online lessons, “on the other hand, playing music is not ‘essential’ and I do fear that if things progress for the worst, we will all have to strip down to the basics. I thank all who are fighting on the front lines to prevent this from happening. I can certainly attest to the power of music to lift my and others’ spirits, especially at this time.”

Colleagues, she emphasized, aren’t nearly as lucky.

“The short-term impact for many of my musician friends has been absolutely devastating,” Cap said. “People have been getting very creative with online streaming and trying to get the teaching online. Some will keep it as a preferred method.”

CARLOS REYES, electric violinist, harpist:

Reyes, a Solano County regular and Contra Costa County resident, definitely is feeling it.

“It’s starting to get financially real and scary for me and my fellow musicians,” Reyes said. “People don’t realize when things get back to ‘normal’ for them, it won’t be for us. Our season is gone.”

Reyes said he hoped the public understands a musician’s plight.

“All I can say is, please help support your local artists,” Reyes said, adding that while many people may struggle after missing one or two paychecks, “imagine musicians or artists who live gig to gig.”

As bad as the 2008 economic collapse was, “this is monstrous compared to back then,” Reyes said. “Imagine if there was no music, art, dance or comedy to have as part of your daily distraction or spirit-building.”

JEFF CAMPITELLI, percussionist:

Having gigs canceled for health concerns isn’t new to Benicia percussionist Jeff Campitelli.

“The last time something like this happened was the SARS outbreak in 2003 when I was just about to leave on a 40-country world tour,” Campitelli said. “I lost about eight months of income. Once they contained that virus things eventually returned to normal but Covid-19 is such a bigger pandemic that I think the washing of the hands and the social distancing is here to stay.”

Syria T. Berry of Vallejo performs this Thursday at Mankas Steakhorse in Fairfield and Oct. 4 at Nine Zero Seven restaurant in Benicia on Oct. 11. For more, visit vocalsbysyria.com.

Luckily, he continued, “all my income isn’t from live performances since most of those have been cancelled through May. I’ve been doing remote recording sessions from my house and sending the tracks over the internet and also teaching some online lessons. Right now, 14 gigs have been canceled and some of those are just postponed until later in the summer.”

No reason to sit on the couch and sulk, Campitelli hinted.

“I’ve been in my studio every day recording, practicing and creating … that never changes,” he said.

PEPPINO D’AGOSTINO, composer, performer:

Campitelli’s fellow Benician, Italian-born acoustic guitarist Peppino D’Agostino, has been hit especially hard.

“My basic income comes from touring nationally, so it’s difficult for someone like me,” D’Agostino said, thankful he does collect “a small amount of royalties from the sales of my signature model guitar” by Godin Guiars in Canada, plus his DVDs and books.

“It’s really difficult at the moment, but I’ll survive,” D’Agostino said, estimating that he’s lost between 10 and 15 gigs between his cancelled U.S. and Europe bookings, plus workshops in the U.S. and Italy.

To stay involved in music, D’Agostino said he’s created videos of his songs for friends and family.

And when the pandemic runs its course?

“I do believe initially people will be afraid of going to live concerts and it will take awhile before people can relax in larger gatherings,” D’Agostino said. “Perhaps I’ll be touring less and investing more time teaching online and getting more work for soundtracks and video games.”

STEF BURNS, rock guitarist:

Rock guitarist Stef Burns got a jump on his fellow Americans in understanding COVID-19, living in Italy touring with superstar Vasco Rossi and returning to his Benicia home when he’s not touring.

“This situation is affecting everyone financially. I’m one of the many,” said Burns, having 18 gigs canceled so far “with still more cancellations coming.”

Burns hopes the music scene “doesn’t fall any lower than it was. It had already been very compromised in the last decade from internet influence,” he said, emphasizing that everyone should “enjoy these moments as much as possible.”

DREW HARRISON, singer/songwriter, founder of the Beatles tribute band, The Sun Kings:

“I’m managing at the moment,” says Harrison. “I’ve been doing this for 30 years now and a rainy day fund is a must.”

Harrison has lost 10 gigs, with more expected to be cancelled. “I may  have to go back to busking (playing on street corners),” he says.

To keep himself from getting rusty, “I pick up the guitar every day,” he said.

Through COVID-19, “musicians will continue to create — that won’t change,” Harrison said. “But how to share their creation? Not to sound pessimistic, but as it pertains to live performances, I suspect attendance at clubs, theaters, festivals, any place where people gather in close proximity will suffer for awhile — and thus will the performer. Particularly if we are required to keep this ‘physical distancing’ up — which I think we will for a few years until we have a vaccine or develop our own resistance to the dreaded Covid-19.”

Though “the streaming thing” is “great for the moment, live music needs to be live — in person — in and with community, together,” Harrison said. “We can’t really isolate forever and be community.”

On the other hand, Harrison continued, “if we’re not required to keep our distance from each other after being cooped up for a couple of months, we’re all going to be aching to go somewhere … anywhere. Screw you Darwin! We’ll take our chances. The old chestnut from WWII continues to mind: ‘We did it before and we can do it again.’ ”

CHRIS COLE, vocalist:

“I’ve lost a lot of money by losing potential gigs,” Cole said. “It was weird .. the last gig I did was with my jazz group for a fundraiser. A lot of people bailed at the last minute and our drummer was sick, too, so there was a bit of caution and paranoia that night.”

Fortunately, said the Fairfield entertainer, “I have a little money saved … and my wife is financially solid … so it hasn’t been horrible.”

Chris Cole of Fairfield has put his music — and his vocals — on hold to ‘take care of my family’ during COVID-19. (Courtesy photo)

Still, “Things have changed quite a bit for us, as my 16-year-old son is now living with us” instead of the teen’s mother and step-father, Cole said. “He was with me when schools closed and we were at the height of the initial fear … so I thought it best for him to live with us. My wife is working from home as a high school administrator, so what was once a peaceful environment, has become a houseful. But like the rest of the world … we are adjusting.”

Cole, admittedly, hasn’t bothered keeping his vocals in shape as he usually would.

“Right now, I’m focused on taking care of my family and just getting through the daily monotony,” he said. “For the first few weeks, we were out playing tennis … at a safe distance. But all the courts, public and private, are shut down. My wife, my son, and I are avid tennis players and fans and we are starting to feel the claustrophobia of each other’s company.”

When COVID-19 is over, “I think the industry will come back like gangbusters because the population will be starving for live music,” Cole said. “I just hope it is soon. I’m a tennis instructor, and that’s pretty much gone along with music. I don’t know how people are making it.”

The “distance thing” is interesting, Cole said.

“People are more aware of each other and there’s not the pushing and shoving. At least I don’t see it when I venture out every couple of days for groceries,” Cole said.

Unfortunately, Cole continued, “it’s going to take time to get things back to ‘normal.’ But good music will always prevail. I’m noticing change for the better. People are more forgiving of one another. When you have an invisible enemy … who are you going to get mad at?”

“Oh, the times they are a changin’,” Cole said.

MARK HUMMEL, musician

Hummel organized “The Celebration of Ron Thompson’s Life” at the Empress Theatre in Vallejo, which was postponed until July 26 with a dozen or so musicians.

“In my lifetime I’ve never encountered anything quite as impacting as this current pandemic,” said Hummel. “It has decimated our entirely society economically, socially, and health-wise. I thought 9/11 was drastic, the 2008 crash devastating … but nowhere near where we are current.”

The biggest blues label in the country has sold 50 CDs last week, said Hummel, “and all major and minor stars are completely sidelined and twiddling their thumbs at home. All gigs, festivals and events are cancelled or postponed causing a dramatic blow to all musicians income. The only up side is practice time and songwriting that will come out of this. We are going to emerge greater on the other side of this.”