Marcy Playground singer John Wozniak has been diagnosed with pneumonia, forcing the band to cancel at least three performances this week.
The group played San Bernardino on the weekend without incident before Wozniak's illness forced the band to pull out of shows in Santa Cruz on December 13, Sacramento on December 14, and Santa Barbara on December 15. Wozniak is currently bedridden in a Santa Cruz hotel room. Marcy's manager told MTV News that the status of the three remaining shows on the band's 1999 itinerary (two in North Carolina and one in Syracuse, New York) remains to be seen. Wozniak is improving, but the group is taking it day-by-day. The singer isn't the only one who's sick; the band's soundman is still in San Bernadino unable to travel because of an ear polyp; drummer Dan Reiser has an ear infection; and bassist Dylan Keefe has a cold. "This isn't a matter of the band doing too many drugs or missing shows because they're tired or temperamental," the band's manager, Chris Blake, told MTV News. "These guys, especially John, are really really sick. We'd rather eat our young than miss a show." Blake also said that a decision regarding the next single (the follow-up to "It's Saturday") from the group's "Shapeshifter" album, as well as future tour plans, will likely be made early next week. The group has opted not to perform New Year's Eve and will instead spend it with friends and family.
