Korn was back on stage this weekend, but lead singer Jonathan Davis needed some help performing as he continues to recover from COVID-19. Davis used an oxygen mask throughout a concert in Illinois on Friday night to catch his breath between songs. The sight had even hardened heavy metal fans concerned for his health.
Korn was forced to cancel and reschedule several shows on their ongoing tour earlier this month when Davis contracted the novel coronavirus. Two shows were canceled altogether and six were rescheduled, and the band got back on stage as soon as quarantine protocols would allow. That came before Davis was feeling 100 percent better, but that is not stopping him in videos circulating now on social media. A video published by TMZ shows Davis breathing in pure oxygen between songs to recover his breath.
It was awesome seeing @KoRn last night! #FreakOnALeash pic.twitter.com/E4sHSyam5h
— Brad Nolan (@Brad_Nolan) August 28, 2021
In addition to leaning on the mask for support, Davis reportedly spent much of the show sitting in an ornate throne set up on stage for him in the place where his microphone stand would usually be. The singer’s ferocity was not impeded by sitting down, but the effect was still haunting for those who fear the recent surge in COVID-19 cases.
“I’m f—ing feeling very weak but I f—ing refuse to f—ing cancel!!!” Davis reportedly told the crowd in Tinley Park on Friday. The town is a suburb of Chicago, where Cook County officials recently ordered a new indoor mask mandate. However, the order did not close down businesses like this concert venue, so the show went on regardless.
Presumably, Davis needed similar aids at the band’s other recent tour dates. Korn performed in Noblesville, Indiana, on Saturday night and Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on Sunday. The band is scheduled to play in Clarkston, Michigan, on Tuesday; Cayuhoa Falls, Ohio, on Thursday; Burgettstown, Pennsylvania, on Friday and so on. The tour continues through most of October in the U.S. and then picks up in Europe in May of 2022.
Naturally, those dates are subject to change, especially as public health officials weigh the possibility of more travel restrictions in the months to come. On Monday, the European Union removed the U.S. from its “safe list” of countries to travel to due to rising COVID-19 case numbers, which means that travelers from the U.S. are not allowed into Europe for nonessential travel right now, according to a report by CBS News. For the latest updates on the pandemic and event safety in your area, visit the CDC’s website.